Turkey has been successfully proceeding with the Filyos port construction project, which is supported by the government and is expected to make a significant contribution to the country's transport system development and to support the operations of the Karabuk region-based steel producers specifically.
The relevant authorities have recently announced that works within the scope of the Filyos port are now 67 percent complete, according to local media. The port facility is located on the Black Sea coast of Turkey in Zonguldak province and its annual cargo loading-unloading capacity is 25 million mt. Sources familiar with the situation expect the project to be commissioned by September 2020, with the first stage implying a 2 million mt per year handling capacity. “The key is to finish the roads up there and customs [facilities] which can be done this summer. It may take a year for the port to be fully operational, but at least break bulk loading and discharging can be started in the meantime,” a market insider told SteelOrbis.
Filyos port is foreseen to provide great support to the businesses located in the region, and specifically to local steel producers, namely Kardemir and Mescier. Currently, Bartin and Zonguldak ports are preferred by the mills: however, sources say there are a number of disadvantages such as low draft (normally around 4.5 meters for steel unloading). Filyos port will have at least seven meters draft which means it may be able to handle up to 10,000 mt vessels, sources say, and will have six cranes so that operations will be fast and carried out simultaneously, SteelOrbis understands.
In addition, Filyos port, according to sources, will have a custom bounded area, which means the goods can be stored for some time without customs clearance. This may provide additional opportunities for suppliers, sources say.