Turkish industrial companies will get a new competitive mode of transport for large distances with the construction of the country’s first privately-run inland cargo terminal, or railport.
The new project is being developed by Turkey’s Arkas Holding, a logistics firm that integrates sea, land, rail and air transportation, and Duisport, Germany’s full-service provider in the logistics sector.
It will be partly financed with loans of US$30 million from the EBRD and ICBC Turkey, each. The total project cost is US$86 million.
Railport is an innovative business concept in the transport sector which combines several modes to transport cargo, such as truck and rail.
It will be built in Kocaeli province, a big industrial centre, and will serve industries operating in the north-western part of Turkey, including the capital Ankara.
The new logistics hub will facilitate freight rail transportation within Turkey and between Asia and Europe and will benefit trade among European, Balkan, and Central Asian countries through the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway connection.
The terminal area will occupy 26.5 hectares. In the first phase of the project, the railport will handle 105,000 TEUs and 500,000 tonnes of general cargo. It will have 5,000 m² of warehouse storage capacity.
Nandita Parshad, EBRD Managing Director for Sustainable Infrastructure, said:
“Arkas’ railport combines various modes of transport in an innovative, efficient and environmentally friendly way. It demonstrates what private sector involvement can achieve for better trade and regional integration and we are very happy to support this milestone infrastructure project in Turkey.”
Ozgur Kalelioglu, Port and Terminal Services Group President at Arkas Holding, added: “We are excited to lead the way and develop a terminal capacity for effective, environmentally friendly combined modes of transport. The project brings together the marine terminal expertise of Arkas Holding and the know-how of Duisport, the largest hinterland hub operator of Europe. Our objective is to provide a gateway terminal servicing rail freight for the Turkish industry and support the development of intermodal transportation to and from Turkey.”
Supporting sustainable infrastructure in Turkey is one of the ways that the EBRD is boosting Turkish private sector and the country’s economy.
The EBRD is a leading institutional investor in the country and has invested over €11 billion in 283 projects in Turkey since 2009. The overwhelming majority of EBRD investments in Turkey are in the private sector. One half of the Bank’s portfolio in Turkey constitutes investments that promote sustainable energy and resource use.
