Romanian port operator Comvex expands Port of Constanța grain terminal storage capacity
Romanian port operating company Comvex (BVB: CMVX) announced on Wednesday, June 24, that it has expanded the storage capacity of its grain terminal in the Port of Constanța by building five new storage cells, adding 28,000 metric tons of temporary capacity.
The project was inaugurated at the Comvex grain terminal at Berth 80, in the Port of Constanța.
The announcement was welcomed by the Romanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIR). The institution noted that the expansion of the terminal confirms and strengthens the strategic role of the Port of Constanța in the context of regional grain and goods flows, at a time when Romania’s port infrastructure has become increasingly important for exports from the Black Sea basin and for the transit of Ukrainian grain.
CCIR President Mihai Daraban stated in a press release that the pace at which Comvex carried out the project is an advantage for the competitiveness of the Port of Constanța, in a context where Romania has few rapid instruments to increase the attractiveness of this logistics hub.
He emphasized that over the past 30 years, the port’s storage capacity has increased tenfold, from 200,000 tons to more than 2 million tons at present, but he argues that the pace of investment must continue.
In this context, Daraban proposed the idea of a bilateral discussion between Romania and Egypt to obtain a reduction in transit tariffs through the Suez Canal for ships operating in the Port of Constanța. According to him, a 10-20% discount could significantly contribute to the port’s competitiveness, given that a round trip for a Panamax-type vessel currently reaches around USD 500,000.
“Investments such as the one carried out by Comvex show that the private sector is doing its part. It is time for the Romanian state to do its part as well, through active economic diplomacy in support of the trade flows transiting Constanța,” Mihai Daraban said, according to the statement.
Romania’s total grain production is expected to decline by 4.6% in 2026 to 23.7 million tons, according to projections by Cocereal, amid slightly reduced cultivated areas and weaker average yields. In 2022, Ukrainian grain exports through Constanta, virtually nonexistent before the war, stood at 8.6 million tons, and they surged to 14 million tons in 2023, supported by investments financed by the port and port operators. Last year, however, the same exports plunged as operations resumed at the Ukrainian port of Odesa.
(Photo source: Comvex SA on Facebook)
