Belgian company wins tender for Anaklia deep sea port maritime infrastructure

Georgian Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development and First Vice Prime Minister Levan Davitashvili announced that Belgian company Jan De Nul, one of the Big Four global dredging firms, has been awarded the tender to carry out maritime infrastructure works for the Anaklia Deep Sea Port.

"We have completed the selection process for the port construction company. Jan De Nul possesses the world’s largest dedicated fleet for port construction, including both dredging and breakwater installation. This is the core, universal maritime infrastructure that will be useful in different configurations as the port develops," Caliber.Az reports, citing Davitashvili.

He added that the Georgian government will finalize the contract with Jan De Nul during August, with active construction in the Anaklia area expected to begin in September.

The initial phase of the harbor is set to have a capacity of 600,000 containers per year, with an estimated cost of $600 million. According to the minister, the cooperation with Jan De Nul will allow the first container ships to operate in the port of Anaklia by 2029, a crucial step in enhancing the Middle Corridor that connects Europe and Asia.

Jan De Nul, established in 1938, has a turnover of €2.5 billion and employs over 7,000 people. The company has been involved in significant global projects, including the expansion of the Panama Canal, and has completed works in Europe, the Persian Gulf, and Africa.

Progress on Sino-Singaporean consortium

Minister Davitashvili also addressed the ongoing process with the Sino-Singaporean consortium, which was declared a contender in the Anaklia Deep Sea Port public-private partnership selection competition. While work continues to clarify the details of the proposal, the minister emphasized that this is a complex process with many technical requirements.

"In this case, we are talking about the fact that one contender company was identified [Sino-Singaporean consortium] but we did not declare it the winner," Davitashvili explained.

He added that the company will only be declared the winner if its proposal aligns with the competition conditions.

"Of course, it is possible that it will not be announced [the winner] at all," he noted, but expressed hope that the ongoing dialogue will lead to a satisfactory outcome.