QTerminals to resume Ukraine port concession: Qatari terminal operator QTerminals and its subsidiary QTerminals Olvia have signed an MoU with Ukraine’s Ministry of Community and Territorial Development to resume the concession project at Olvia Port, according to a Ukraine government statement published last week.

IN CONTEXT- QTerminals was awarded a 35-year concession contract in 2020, pledging to invest around USD 120 mn in Olvia Port, according to a statement published by parent company Milaha at the time. QTerminals began operations in Olvia port in 2021, though the project was put on hold following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Respite from the war? The city of Mykolaiv — a shipbuilding and transportation hub on the northern Black Sea coast, and home to Olvia Port — was directly impacted by the Russia-Ukraine war, serving as a battleground in 2022 and 2024. “Attracting foreign investment, especially from a partner such as Qatar, is critically important for economic recovery, particularly for the Mykolaiv region,” Community and Territorial Development Deputy Minister Andriy Kashuba said.

Operating amid uncertainty: A Ukrainian law on public-private partnerships, expected to come into effect in October, will enable parties to change the terms of concession agreements due to force majeure circumstances — in this case, the Russian invasion. This will allow international companies, such as QTerminals, to request changes to the contracts, including on labor relations and financial terms, as well as introduce temporary operational suspensions, as per the statement.

About the port: Under QTerminals’ management, Olvia Port is equipped to deliver a range of services, including cargo handling, storage, warehousing, and facilitation of cargo transport by rail, according to its website . It hosts 22 gantry cranes, 61 forklift trucks, and four hydraulic material handling machines, and boasts an annual handling capacity of 3 million tons of cargo.

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