“A Chinese Consortium, China Communications Construction Company Limited, which submitted the final bid to the Anaklia Deep Sea Port Development Agency, will be officially declared as the winner in a couple of days,” said Levan Davitashvili, Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development, at the briefing.
According to the Minister, two bidders met the qualification requirements in a private partner selection competition for the Anaklia Deep Sea Port project. The Swiss-Singapore Consortium Terminal Investment Limited Holding S.A. (T.I.L Holding S.A) and Chinese-Singapore Consortium China Communications Construction Company Limited (China) & China Harbour Investment Pte. Ltd (Singapore) was given a deadline of May 20, 2024, to present technical, commercial and financial as well as contract remarks proposals.
On May 20, only (China Communications Construction Company Limited(China) & China Harbour Investment Pte. Ltd (Singapore), sub-contractors China Road and Bridge Corporation and Qingdao Port International Co., Ltd. presented the proposals.
“As a result of the assessment of submitted proposals, the commission will reveal the winner (or several best candidates), with which negotiations will begin on the agreement of concession contract and partners.
The Ministry/ Agency carried out an investor/private partner selection process, which will invest in a joint company (hereafter “concessioner”), which will develop Anaklia Port based on the agreement signed between the Georgian government and the concessioner. This represents institutional public and private cooperation, within the framework of which the Georgian government through the company will be the holder of 51 % of institutional public and private cooperation company, while the private partner will hold 49%.
The state founded a company, which launched preparatory works for maritime infrastructure construction. The same company, in the form of capital investment, was handed over land plots for first-stage works.
Following the selection of the investor, the state company will establish a joint company with the private partner, where the state company will hold 51% of the shares, while the private partner 49%. The issues of revenues and functions distributions will be finalized in line with the best international practices at the RFP stage.
Work to do: Anaklia Deep Sea Port Development Agency signed a contract with the authoritarian international consultation company Maritime & Transport Business Solutions B.V. (MTBS). Based on a contract, the company updated the forecasts and business model of Anaklia project cargo flows. Also, a new marketing strategy was developed, and an optimal model of public-private partnership was chosen.
The Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development also concluded a contract with MTBS on the preparation of research on Georgia’s port sector. The document was ready in February of 2022.
Considering the research results, the Agency hired international consultation companies MTBS (Commercial Consultant) and Squire Patton Boggs (Legal Consultant), which prepared documentation for the first selection stage for a private partner. The aforementioned document “On Public and Private Cooperation” was approved by the private selection commission established per the December 15, 2022, Decree #1-1/515 of the Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development and was published on February 20, 2023. The interested candidates were given a deadline for submission of applications before June 19, 2023.
Four applications were received in set terms:
1. Terminal Investment Limited Holding S.A. (T.I.L Holding S.A) (Luxembourg)
2. China Communications Construction Company Limited (China) & China Harbour Investment Pte. Ltd(Singapore)
3. China Construction Sixth Engineering Bureau Corp. Ltd. (China)
4. Etgar-Al Engineering Ltd. (Israel).
The Agency, with the engagement of international consultants, studied the documentation as presented by the candidates, which comprised general information as well as construction, investment, operational and managerial experience and financial and legal documentation.
Following the assessment of documentation, on September 20, 2023, the Commission revealed two qualified candidates (the first two companies on the list). The qualified candidates, on December 11, 2023, were asked to present their proposals RFP) together with concession and partner agreements, which were elaborated with the involvement of the Agency’s international consultants. With the given document (RFP), the candidates were given the term before May 20, 2024, to present technical, commercial and financial as well as contract remarks proposals.
Feasible Outcomes of the Project: The project’s implementation will contribute to the creation of thousands of new jobs, improvement of the local population’s socioeconomic conditions, increase the competitiveness of Georgia’s transport corridor, attract new cargo flows through Georgia’s territory, development of logistic services and production near the port.
Anaklia port will be attractive for the locals residing across Abkhazia’s occupied territory. They will have the opportunity to get employed both in the construction and operational stages.
Besides, products produced by the population residing on the occupied territory will be exported through Anaklia Port. The capacity of the port’s first phase will be 600 thousand containers (7,800,000 tons), while an estimated value will be USD 600 billion. The state also considers the issue of the creation of a free industrial zone near the port,” the Ministry of Economy said.
