Bulgaria's Ministry of Transport Reports BGN 23 M Revenues from Concessions for 2011 In 2011, Bulgaria's Ministry of Transport, Information Technology, and Communications controlled 9 concession contracts for the port terminals of Lesport, Balchik, Svishtov, Oryahovo, Somovit, Vidin-Sever, and Rosenetz, the Silistra ferry terminal, and the civil airports in Burgas and Varna, according to a report on the implementation of infrastructure concession contracts. The report was presented to the Bulgarian government on Wednesday. According to the report, as cited in a media statement of the government, revenues from concession activity amounted to BGN 23308 M, VAT included. Revenues from concession payments stood at BGN 23233 M, VAT included, compensatory damages at BGN 40665, VAT excluded, punitive damages at BGN 14434 VAT included, and revenues from sale of documents for participation in concession procedures at BGN 20000. Concessionaires of port terminals in 2011 were recognized investments worth a total of BGN 6, 212 M and Fraport Twin Star Airport Management AD reported investments of BGN 75,216 M in the civil airports in Burgas and Varna.
Source: Standart (17.01.2013)

Port Varna expands with military terrain The “Piasaka” terrain of the Bulgarian navy in Varna should become accessible to the residents and the visitors of the coastal city as an extension of the port of Varna, an urban planning project of the city says. The initiative is also supported by the caretaker government. For this purpose, the status of the land must be changed and its property has to be transferred from the Ministry of Defense to the Ministry of Transport, which intends to build a port terminal in this place. An expert group chaired by the minister of defense will prepare a proposal about the costs of the plan and the options of where to relocate the military unit, which employs 250 people, caretaker Prime Minister Marin Raikov said. The cabinet would change the status of the field only after this assessment. The Prime Minister also said that he was optimistic about the completion of the "Trakia" highway in the summer. At the beginning of the mandate of the cabinet, regional development minister Ekaterina Zaharieva examined the status of the project and urged construction companies to work in two shifts to make up for the delay. The construction of the second section of "Struma" motorway will also be started at the beginning of June, Raikov announced.
Source: Standart (18.04.2013)

With the votes of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF), Bulgaria’s 42nd National Assembly voted the socialist-nominated Plamen Oresharski cabinet into power on May 29 2013. he structure and members of the Cabinet voted into office on May 29 consists of: Prime Minister Plamen Oresharski Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Minister Zinaida Zlatanova Deputy Prime Minister: Vacant And the ministers of: Finance – Petar Chobanov Economy and Energy – Dragomir Stoynev Transport – Daniel Papazov Agriculture – Dimitar Grekov Culture – Petar Stoyanovich Health – Tanya Andreeva Interior – Tsvetlin Yovchev Defence – Angel Naidenov Foreign Affairs – Kristian Vigenin Environment – Iskra Mihailova Youth and Sport – Mariyana Georgieva Education and Science – Anelia Klisarova Labour and Social Policy – Hasan Ademov Investment Planning – Ivan Danov Regional Development – Desislava Terzieva (Photo of Oresharski: bsp.bg)
Source: Capital market (30.05.2013)

The ports of Varna and Burgas to be expanded The main tasks of the government will be the expansion of the ports of Varna and Burgas and renovation of the Danube ports, said Minister of Transport, Information Technology and Communications Daniel Papazov who participated in a meeting of the General Assembly of the European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO). He explained that in the coming months will begin the first steps to develop a detailed analysis and hopes that by the end of the year program for port development in the country will be ready. Papazov stressed that waterway Rhine-Main-Danube Canal, which connects with South Central and Western Europe, is very important for Bulgaria. "Europe has great potential for the Black Sea cargoes to arrive faster and safer through the waterway to the largest port in the world - Rotterdam. Therefore we need to improve the procedure and Bulgarian ports to become more competitive" Papazov said. He added that it was time to find territory for expansion of the Varna and Burgas ports for container handling.
Source: econ.bg (03.06.2013)

28 million levs revenue for the port of Varna in the first 6 months For the first six months of 2013, the port of Varna has generated revenues of around 28 million levs and handled around 4.5 million tons of cargo. It was clear from the words of the Minister of Transport, Information Technology Daniel Papazov during the official commissioning of two new mobile harbor crane Varna - West, announced the Ministry of Transport. Only this year we have invested more than 10 million lev in port infrastructure of the port of Varna, said Papazov. "I hope by the end of the year to be able to launch the project for deepening of the bottom of the zero-berth port of Varna - West. Analyzes show that only in a few years, it will increase by several million tons of liquid volume and hazardous cargo passing through the port, "said the Minister. "I know from personal experience how to operate the port of Varna and what efforts each employee has to make, this is one of the most successful companies in the field of transport," added Daniel Papazov. The two new cranes are a type HMK 170 E diesel-electric propulsion and universal and can be used for general and bulk cargo as well as containers. During heavy operations, they can run at speeds of ascent: 63 items for 32 min and at standard operations: 45 items for 40 minutes, the length of the arrow of each is 38 m price was 9 million levs, and according to plans to be paid for three years.
Source: econ.bg (12.08.2013)

Port Varna -a gateway for imports of LP gas- expects boom of trade thanks to new ferry The new ferry line Varna-Caucasus is one of the main prerequisites for maintaining and even increasing the cargo traffic and revenue of the Port Varna in the recent crisis. Almost immediately after the opening of the line in March 2009, it proved to be the most direct, fast and inexpensive way of trade between Bulgaria and Russia. The success story of the Varna-Caucasus ferry line also passed the boundaries of Bulgaria and has begun to attract cargo from other countries as well. The first Russian ferry was followed by a second and soon the first Bulgarian ship with a double capacity of the two Russian tankers will be added to the line. It is expected that the launch of the first Bulgarian ferry boat, named Varna, after a month or two will double the volume of trade between the Varna and Caucasus ports. Liquified petroleum gas (LP gas, or LPG or autogas) arrives to Bulgaria mainly through the Port Varna. According to statistics of the ferryboat complex of the port, in the first half of 2013, 1775 rail tankers with 59,898 tons of LPG were loaded in Varna from the Russian Port Caucasus. This means that a large part of the LP gas used in Bulgarian taxis, private cars and a lot of businesses like bakeries and many households comes from Russia in the two ferry ships Avangrad and Slavyanin. The LPG is supplied by Gastrade, the largest importer of this type of fuel in the country. Besides importing, the company is also the the railway carrier and supplier of OMV and other traders. LPG accounts for over 92% of the total of 64,900 tons of imports from Russia by ferryboats in the first half of 2013. Besides LPG, the other main products arriving from the Port Caucasus to the Port Varna are base oils. Cereals, especially white beans rank as third. According to statistics, ferry transports contribute to a significant increase in the foreign trade deficit of Bulgaria in its trade relations with Russia. While imports are steadily increasing, Bulgaria's ferry exports to Russia decreased. The imports from Russia to the Port Varna rose to 64,900 tons in the first six months of 2012 from 61,464 tons in the same period last year. Against this, in the opposite direction to Russia the two ferry ships transported only 11,246 tons cargo to Russia in the first half of 2013. After the launch of the Bulgaria ferry, it is expected that Port Varna will attract cargo from the Danube countries. For this end, the oldest railway line in Bulgaria between Ruse and Varna will be rehabilitated, Minister of Transport Daniel Papazov announced a few days ago. The project is divided into two lots and has a total indicative value of about EUR 305 million, he said. It will be funded with EU money under the Transport 2014-2020 operational program, Captain Papazov added. The first ever railway line in Bulgaria will be developed into a freight corridor between ports in Ruse and Varna. The line will surely attract a lot of cargo, mainly containers and grain from the Middle Danube area, as the Romanian port of Constanta is overloaded and maintenance at the Cernavoda canal is increasingly expensive.
Source: Standart (19.08.2013)

Bulgaria's Port Varna Expects Increase in Grain Exports Bulgaria's Port Varna EAD expects an increase in grain exports in 2013. According to the press office of the port, in July 2013 the port processed around 450 000 tonnes of grain cargo, including wheat, barley, corn, etc. Only in the first seven days of August, the strongest month for grain exports, nearly 238 000 tonnes were exported through Port Varna. Port Varna processes grain cargo year-round. Port Varna has processed grain exports in all months of 2013 so far. The main export destinations are EU countries like Belgium, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Spain, Portugal, as well as other countries like Lebanon, Libya, and Saudi Arabia. In a medium-term perspective, the Port Varna EAD company has developed a program for improving grain cargo processing equipment. The port operator explains that they are doing their best to prevent an accumulation of grain trucks pending processing. Meanwhile, grain producers say that purchase prices of wheat have not changed, settling at BGN 260 – 270 per tonne, according to Radoslav Hristov from the National Association of Grain Producers (NAGP) and the price including transportation of the goods to the port of shipment amounting to BGN 290 – 300 per tonne. According to recent data of Bulgaria's Agricultural Ministry, 99.2% of the wheat has been harvested. Wheat production amounts to 4,789 million tones, the average yield being 423 kg per decare. The winter barley harvest has been completed, with 696 000 tonnes of grain collected and an average yield of 377 kg per decare. A total of 96.97% of the rapeseed harvest has been collected, the average yield being 238 kg per decare, as well as 93,16% of the rye harvest, the average yield amounting to 189kg per decare. According to data of Bulgaria's National Grain and Feed Service, 65.41% of the wheat harvest has good baking characteristics for producing bread.
Source: investor.bg (22.08.2013)

Germany interested in the port of Varna 'We are interested in the concession of the Port of Varna. We will wait and see what steps will be taken by the Bulgarian side to have a clear position'' German Ambassador Matthias Hoepfner announced in Varna after talks with the city's mayor Ivan Portnih. The Municipality of Varna will actively participate in tourism fairs in Germany by advertising itself on four such events there. The Port of Varna is the largest seaport complex in Bulgaria, located in the Black Sea city of Varna. It attracts serious volumes of cargo, including from Russia via the hugely successful new ferry line Varna-Caucasus.
Source: Standart (18.10.2013)

New plant in Ruse Facility for galvanizing and manufacturing of metal products will open doors in the Industrial Park of Ruse. The official opening of the new plant of Balkantsink is November 1. The comapny was created as a result of business cooperation of Italian industrial entrepreneurs with extensive experience in the production of hot-dip galvanized steel products. The complex is situated on 8 decares and includes industrial and office buildings, as well as a shop for assembly and repair. It is expected that production will reach 10,000 tons per year in two shifts. The new plant will create more than 30 jobs, as well as more jobs within the supply network. Total investment in the project is ÁÃÍ 4.5 million.
Source: Standart (31.10.2013)

Upgrade of Port Varna, Burgas Imperative - Bulgaria PM Bulgaria will seek public-private partnership schemes to develop container terminals at the Black Sea ports in Varna and Burgas, according to Prime Minister Plamen Oresharski. Speaking Friday in Parliament, Oresharski presented details in response to a question of socialist MP Borisalv Gutsanov about the fate of the project terminated during the term in office of the center-right GERB government. Oresharski, as cited by the BGNES news agency, emphasized that the upgrade of Port Varna and Port Burgas was imperative if Bulgaria wanted to attract a part of the freight flows currently circumventing the country. He responded to Gutsanov's question about the loan from the Japan Bank for International Cooperation earmarked for the construction of container terminals in Varna and Burgas Oresharski noted that the GERB government had cancelled the agreement for the loan of around JPY 37 B from the Japan Bank for International Cooperation, reminding that the contract for the 20-year-loan with a 7-year grace period and 1.4% interest rate had been ratified by Bulgaria's Parliament in end-2008. Stressing that EU funding could not go to port infrastructure, he said that it had been the last loan Bulgaria could have used because of its accession to the EU. He suggested that the cancellation of the loan had resulted in a disastrous lag in the development of Bulgarian Black Sea ports and Bulgaria had wasted an opportunity to turn them into gates to the EU for cargo from Russia and Central Asia. Oresharski claimed that the cargo flow had been diverted through the ports of Thessaloniki and Constanta, while an upgrade of the Bulgarian ports could have secured a bigger workload for freight rail services. Bulgaria's Prime Minister declared that the project could be restarted but under much more unprofitable terms, adding that the damage caused by the cancellation of the previous scheme could not be compensated easily and quickly.
Source: investor.bg (18.11.2013)