DP World secures €25 million loan for Constanța terminal electrification

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DP World and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development have signed a green loan of up to €25 million to help electrify the Constanța South Container Terminal in Romania.

The financing is the first dedicated green loan in the terminal’s history and supports a wider €100 million programme covering electrical infrastructure, shore power and new cargo handling equipment.

DP World expects the programme to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 6,000 tonnes annually while improving air quality, reducing noise and strengthening the reliability of terminal operations.

The project will replace ageing diesel equipment with electric alternatives and give vessels access to shore power while berthed. Ships using the system will be able to switch off auxiliary engines and draw electricity from the port grid instead.

The electrification programme combines financing from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, European Union grants and Romanian government funding.

Alongside the EBRD loan, the project has secured a €19.7 million grant through the European Union’s Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Facility. The facility forms part of the Connecting Europe Facility, with the EBRD acting as the implementing partner.

Romania’s Transport Programme for 2021 to 2027 has provided a further €7.5 million.

The funding structure reflects the scale of the work required. Electrifying a terminal involves more than replacing diesel machines with electric models. The supporting grid, transformers, charging systems and power distribution network must also be capable of handling significantly higher electricity demand.

Without that underlying infrastructure, electric cargo equipment is comparable to adding more trains without upgrading the railway tracks beneath them.

The first part of the programme represents an investment of €53.8 million and will establish the terminal’s main electrification infrastructure.

The work includes new electrical networks, transformer systems, distribution facilities and a connection to the port’s main power station and grid.

Shore power installations will allow container vessels to connect to the local electricity network while alongside. The system is expected to cut emissions generated by ships at berth and reduce engine noise around the terminal.

The programme also includes the rehabilitation of access roads and the introduction of 10 electric terminal tractors with supporting charging equipment.

Terminal tractors move containers between quays, storage areas and rail or road transfer points. Their frequent stop and start operating pattern makes them a significant source of local diesel emissions at busy container terminals.

The second component is valued at €46.2 million and focuses on cargo handling machinery.

It includes electric remote operated rubber tyred gantry cranes, two electric mobile harbour cranes and additional electric terminal tractors.

Rubber tyred gantry cranes are used to stack and move containers within terminal yards. Remote operation allows crane drivers to control the equipment from a central workstation rather than from cabins mounted on individual cranes.

The investment is designed to support lower emission operations while increasing equipment availability and improving working conditions.

Svitlana Balaban, chief executive of DP World Constanța, said competitiveness and sustainability were becoming increasingly connected in port operations.

“In today’s trading environment, the most competitive ports are the most sustainable ports,” Balaban said.

She said the programme would align the terminal’s future growth with DP World’s wider emissions reduction commitments while helping customers develop more resilient supply chains.

Balaban added that the project would strengthen Constanța’s position as a Black Sea container gateway.

Victoria Zinchuk, EBRD director for Romania, described the financing as a landmark investment for the country’s logistics sector.

She said the project would reinforce the Port of Constanța’s role as a strategic Black Sea logistics hub while delivering energy efficiency improvements.

“We are delighted to partner with DP World on this first transaction to support the modernisation of the Port of Constanța and demonstrate that competitiveness and decarbonisation can go hand in hand,” Zinchuk said.

The terminal serves cargo moving between Central Europe, the Black Sea region, Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova. Its location has increased its importance as companies seek alternative logistics routes connecting European markets with the Black Sea and surrounding economies.

The electrification programme follows several recent DP World investments in Constanța.

In 2024, the company opened a project cargo terminal and a roll on roll off terminal after investing €65 million.

The facilities expanded the port’s ability to handle oversized cargo, vehicles and other rolling equipment. They also strengthened Constanța’s role in regional industrial and project logistics supply chains.

In December 2025, DP World completed a 119,000 square metre multimodal platform designed to connect cargo flows moving by sea, road and rail.

The new green financing will now shift the focus from physical expansion towards the energy systems and equipment required to operate those facilities with lower emissions.