Large-Scale Maritime Construction Works at Anaklia Deep Sea Port
By Gvantsa Turmanidze
Friday, November 16
A formal ceremony highlighting the launch of the Large-Scale Maritime Construction Works at Anaklia Port was held on September 16, 2018. Anaklia Development Consortium, which consists of TBC Holding from Georgia, Conti International from the United States, SSA Marine from the United States, British Wondernet Express working in Central Asia, and G-Star Ltd. From Bulgaria, together with the Government of Georgia have joined with the aim to construct the port of Anaklia. ADC has established a framework of preliminary agreements with diverse global players in port and transport infrastructure, ensuring Anaklia Port’s long-term success.
One of the most advanced and technically capable dredging vessels ever built, which is owned by Van Oord, the Athena, has already performed the reclamation of 5.0 million cubic meters of sand from the sea at Anaklia port and brought dredged material to the port area over 100 hectares of land. These heavy works were implemented in one and a half month period. The local population is involved in the current works together with the specialists of Dutch company Van Oord, which is one of the world’s leading marine engineering contractor. The company has been awarded a contract (July 2018) through an international tender announced by Anaklia Development Consortium (ADC). Van Oord is a leading Dutch International contractor, which carries out dredging, marine engineering and offshore projects in different parts of the world. The construction of Palm Island in Dubai, the expansion of the Maasvlakte 2 port in Rotterdam’s Maasvlakte 2, and the record-breaking Suez Canal are among the projects which Van Oord has implemented.
Along with the dredging vessel, the Athena, heavy equipment to perform large-scale maritime works is also mobilized at the port. These include 2.5 km long floating pipes, vertical drains of 3,500 km in length in total, 10 km long bunds, a 2.5 km long melioration channel and a water regulation system. 2nd phase of the maritime works is to deepen the bottom of the port to the operational depths (-16 m), which will turn Anaklia into the second deepest port in the black sea basin after the Port of Constanta in Romania.
The investment value of the 1st phase of Anaklia Deep Sea Port construction is 600 million USD, which considers employment opportunities for about 1500 people. The port infrastructure built during the 1st phase will enable Georgia to dock 10,000 TEU Panamax and Post-Panamax vessels, which can’t be docked at other seaports in Georgia. At the time of its opening and after the first phase is put into operation, in 2021 Anaklia Deep Sea Port will be able to handle 1 million TEU containers and 1.5 million tons of dry bulk.
Set to open in 2020, Anaklia Deep Sea Port will be designed over the course of 9 phases, with an aggregate investment of 2.5 billion USD. This will be one of the biggest investments throughout the history of Georgia.
Anaklia Development Consortium’s (ADC) vision for the Anaklia Port is to create a world-class port complex for Georgia and establish Anaklia as a focal point for trade to and from Central Asia and on the New Silk Road trade route between China and Europe. ADC’s goal for the Anaklia Port is to improve the port infrastructure in Georgia, thereby providing reduced costs for those who use the port and subsequently improving economic opportunities regionally and domestically.
Founder of TBC Holding and JSC TBC Bank and the Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Mr. Mamuka Khazaradze calls Georgia “Switzerland of the Caucasus” and sees “Anaklia as a logistics and a financial hub set to attract neighboring businesses”.
