MTBS – unique business opportunities of the Port of Rijeka

Maritime & Transport Business Solutions (MTBS)

The organization brings together 30 consultants, who are the world leaders and transaction advisors in the field of public-private partnerships. In 2009 and 2010, they acted as advisors for the Port of Rijeka. They currently operate all over the world, mainly in sea regions. Their advantage over competition results from flexibility and dynamism in action. They apply the best practices, and believe in creating value and facilitating of their implementation.

The large Croatian port in Rijeka is a transit port for neighboring countries such as Hungary. It is very competitive, and the goal of MTBS consultants is to increase its competitive position in serving neighboring countries. The port already operates approx. 200,000 TEU.

The Rijeka Gateway Program aims the implementation of this objective in order to provide port and road infrastructure. The stakeholders of this program, actively involved in all cargo operations, are the port authorities Luka Rijeka and the Adriatic Gate Terminal. The implementation of the Zagreb Pier Deep-Sea Terminal is also very important, the construction of which will end in 2032. The management of the Port of Rijeka plans to implement the concept of “One Belt, One Road”. The port lies on both the Mediterranean and the Adriatic-Baltic corridor, and uses the TEN-T network. There are also plans to modernize the Rijeka-Pivka railway connection, which gives opportunities for cooperation with neighboring Slovenia, but also increases competition between the ports of Koper and Rijeka.

In response, Mr. Uyttendaele presented the business offers to the logistics and transport partners present. It is the construction of a two-phase approach to the Design and Build method, which is a competitive solution not only on the Adriatic Sea, but also on a global scale. In the first phase, the area of 15 hectares and the capacity of 400,000 TEU are involved. In the second phase, the rate will increase by the further 200,000 TEU and the waterfront will be extended by 20 meters. The Design and Build programme is already underway. The next step will be to enter the market via the concession partner. Not only is the port important, but also the way of delivering goods to landlocked countries and to Zagreb, ensured by a direct access to the motorway.

The planned expansion of ports is associated with the necessity of their deepening, so that they can accept vessels with a large draft. Not only will the development of the Port of Rijeka secure transit cargo, but also the transportation of goods. This unique business opportunity will come into force in 2021. At the moment, entering the market and looking for cooperators is underway. The project will start soon, and the concession contract will be signed within 9 months. It will be very important to create an interface between the companies involved in the Design and Build project and the operating company. A successful transition of the market consultation phase will be a good sign for the future, up to the stage of signing a concession contract. After that, there will be a transaction phase, during which the concession contract will be refined. This will happen with a one-step approach, and everything is planned to take place in one step.

Patrick Uyttendaele,Transaction Advisor to the Port of Rijeka, Maritime & Transport Business Solutions