The second phase of the Poti Port expansion project is expected to be completed by September–October 2027, according to PACE Group CEO Irakli Tateishvili. Speaking to BMG, he said the phase represents a total investment of $38 million, including a $25 million loan from the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC).
Once completed, the project will increase the port’s annual cargo handling capacity by around 1 million tons, bringing total capacity to 3 million tons. Tateishvili said the port is currently operating at 70–75% of capacity, with the remaining unused capacity mainly due to weather conditions.
PACE Group and DFC have been cooperating since 2020, when DFC approved a $50 million loan for the first phase of the port’s development. The overall expansion project is valued at $130 million, with $93 million already invested during the initial phase.
The second phase includes construction of a 250-meter-long, 13-meter-deep berth, dredging of the access channel, installation of a modern ship loader, and a 700-meter conveyor system linking the existing urea warehouse to the new berth, significantly expanding the port’s bulk cargo handling capabilities.
