ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA — United Grain Co., Demetra-Holding and Federal State Unitary Enterprise Rosmorport have reached agreement to develop the necessary infrastructure for organizing the transshipment of grain cargo in the seaports of the Russian Federation. The announcement was made within the framework of the XXIV St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on June 3.

Under terms of the agreement, the partners plan to build a new pier in the form of a double-sided pier at the head of the existing pier No. 3 in the port of Novorossiysk, which will allow for the receival of Panamax class ships, a grain gallery and a complex of auxiliary and infrastructure structures, and also dredge.

The partners said the development of port facilities for transshipment of grain cargo will ensure the fulfillment of the instructions of the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin to increase the export of agricultural products.

The new pier will double the total transshipment capacity at the site to about 25 million tonnes from 13.6 million tonnes, while increasing capacity of one-time storage to 870,000 tonnes from 370,000 tonnes.

“UGC Group is implementing a large-scale investment program aimed at deep modernization of PJSC NKHP, increasing grain storage and shipping capacities,” said Dmitry Sergeev, general director of United Grain Co., an infrastructure and trading company. “The result of the implementation of this project will be an increase in the export attractiveness of domestic wheat in global markets, a comprehensive development of the internal infrastructure of the Russian grain market.”.

Vitaly Sergeichuk, general director of Demetra-Holding, the largest vertically integrated grain holding company in Russia, added, “We are actively working to increase transshipment port capacities, and we approach this issue in a comprehensive manner, developing the entire chain of export-oriented logistics infrastructure. The additional capacity will optimize transshipment capabilities due to higher operational efficiency, which will ensure the development of the country’s grain complex and increase the competitiveness of Russian grain in world markets.”