Head office and registered address: 1 Slaveikov Square, Varna, Bulgaria

Location: Pan-European Corridors No. 8, Optional No. 7 (Rhine-Main-Danube) and TRACECA international transport corridor (Europe-Caucasus-Asia)

History:

• Initial registration: 1991 limited company, following separation of company’s assets and liabilities from Navigation Maritime Bulgare
• Re-registration: 1996 public company (100% state-owned)
• Acquisition of shares (8.85% in 2014) of Oiltanking Bulgaria AD, 2000
• Implementing of Quality Management System (ISO 9001:2008), 2003
• Dissociating of port infrastructure from the capital of Port of Varna EAD to become a public state property, 2004
• Compliance with International Ship and Port Facilities Security (ISPS) Code, 2004
• Contract No. 30 dated 30.05.2006 for usage, maintenance, repairing, reconstruction, modernization and rehabilitation of public state property sites
• Status of port operator (port services pursuant to Article 116, Para 2, Items 2, 3 of the Law on Sea Space, Inland Waterways and Ports of Republic of Bulgaria), Varna port for public transport of national importance
• Status of outer bourder of European Union, 2007
• Implementing of Occupational Health and Safety Management System (BS OHSAS 18001:2007), 2010
• Implementing of Environmental Management System (ISO 14001:2004), 2011
• Certificate of Operational Fitness of Varna East Port Terminal, 2011
• Certificate of Operational Fitness of Varna West Port Terminal, 2013

Legal/organization form: Public company (EAD)

Capital: Fixed capital of BGN 8,493,571 divided into 8,493,571 nominal shares, each with nominal value of BGN 1.

The rights of the state as a sole owner of the capital are executed by the Minister of Transport, IT and Communications.

Organization structure

• Board of Directors

Chairman: Mr. Tihomir TODOROV

Vice Chairman: Mr. Dimitar ATANASOV

Executive Director: Mr. Petar SEFEROV

• Central Administrative Management

Financial Director: Mrs. Marieta Manolova

Director of Engineering Division: Mr. Nikolai Hristov

Director of Operations Division: Mr. Ivan Yanakiev

Administrative Director: Mrs. Mariela Petkova

• Varna West Port Terminal

Port Director: Mr. Kostadin Dimitrov

• Varna East Port Terminal

Port Director: Mr. Lubomir Dobrev

• Passenger Terminal

Line of business: port operations and any related agency, commercial and technical service; forwarding, investment and engineering; research and development; training of port staff; home/foreign trade. 

Port of Varna EAD is operator of port facilities for public transport of national importance: Varna East Port Terminal (including Passenger Terminal) and Varna West Port Terminal.

Port of Varna EAD can handle all types of cargo, including containers, general cargo, dry and liquid bulks.  The port provides services to passenger and cruise ships, scientific vessels and pleasure boats.  It is a host port of major international marine events, including the Historical Seas Tall Ships Regatta in 2010 and SCF Black Sea Tall Ships Regatta in 2014.

Certificates:

• Port Operator Registration Certificate (port services pursuant to Article 116, Para 2, Items 2, 3 of the Law on Sea Space, Inland Waterways and Ports of Republic of Bulgaria)
• Registration Certificate of Varna Port for Public Transport of National Importance (Varna East Port Terminal, including Passenger Terminal and Varna West Port Terminal)
• Certificates of Operational Fitness, issued by the Minister of Transport, IT and Communications for:

          - Varna East Port Terminal, No. 11036/21.01.2021 for handling of general and bulk cargo, edible liquid bulks, containers and passengers;

          - Varna West Port Terminal, No. 11037/21.01.2021 for handling of general cargo, dry and liquid bulks, ro-ro and containers.

• Certificate of Compliance with the International Ship and Port Facilities Security (ISPS) Code and security measures as introduced by IMO

• Quality Management System ISO 9001:2008, accredited by UKAS, UK
• Occupational Health and Safety Management System BS OHSAS 18001:2007, accredited by Swiss Certification, Switzerland
• Environmental Management System ISO 14001:2004, accredited by UKAS, UK.

Varna East Port Terminal (Port of Varna) was officially opened on 18 May 1906. Today, it is a successfully functioning multi-purpose port terminal which is continually developing and improving. Varna East Port Terminal is situated in the Bay of Varna at the southeast end of Varna City, some 1 km of the downtown area. The head office of the trading company Port of Varna EAD is located and operating on the terminal’s territory.

There are 14 berths, including one berth for servicing of passengers, passenger ships, cruise ships, pleasure boats and naval ships. The max depth is 11.50m, and the total quay length is 2345m.

The terminal makes use of various quay cranes: 22 portal cranes, 1 mobile crane, 1 gantry crane, 1 quay shiploader for grain, 1 unloading facility for molasses.

The mobile equipment includes 59 units, of which 12 bucket loaders, 9 forklift trucks, 1 reachstacker, 9 terminal tractors, 7 container semi-trailers, 7 self-dumping trailers, etc.

The total open storage space is 73.15 decares (including the Storage Base), and the total area of warehouses is 35.34 decares (including the Storage Base). Also, the terminal has a road-rail unloading station for grain which is linked to a warehouse.

The storage areas have access to the national railway network. The port road system is connected to the national road network via the port gates. The international Airport of Varna is about 10km away from the terminal.

In accordance with the Operational Suitability Certificate, Varna East Port Terminal can handle general cargo, bulk cargo, liquid bulks, edible liquids, ro-ro, containers and passengers. A variety of marine technical services and operations are offered as well.

The record year for cargo traffic at Varna East was 2013, when the terminal handled over 4.1 million tons of cargo, with only the grain exports accounting for 3.6 million tons.

Investments have been made to improve port infrastructure and facilities and to modernise the handling technology for grain and cereals, so that Varna East can maintain its image of Bulgaria’s grain hub.

In recent years, the eastern area of the terminal has been opened for the public.

Storage Base

Located some 5 km of Varna East Port Terminal is the Storage Base (also known as the Dry Port) – a separate unit which is licensed for customs bonded warehousing, operating on a total area of 85 decares. There are 6 warehouses with total storage area of 15 decares, used for various types of general cargo and grain. The open storage space is about 16 decares available for general cargo.

The terminal has:

Quay cranes:

• Portal jib cranes: 22 units with capacity up to 32T

• Mobile crane: 1 unit with capacity 84T

• Gantry crane: 1 unit with capacity 30.5T

• Quay shiploader for grain: 1

• Unloading facility for molasses in bulk: 1

Mobile equipment:

• Bucket loaders: 11

• Forklift trucks: 9

• Reachstacker: 1

• Terminal tractors: 9

• Container semi-trailers: 7

Other specialised equipment:

• Combined road-rail unloading station for grain with a link to a warehouse.

Key technical and technologic features

Varna West Port Terminal became operational in 1974, and 2 years later the deep-water channel linking the sea with the lake (Canal No.1) was successfully completed for navigation of deep-draft vessels to Varna West.

Initially, the concept for development of port facilities was to build an industrial port intended to serve the “valley of the great chemical industry.”

Nowadays, the port of Varna West is the most modern facility on the north Bulgarian Black Sea coast with the best future prospects. It is situated about 30km west of Varna City, on the west shore of Beloslav Lake. Adjacent to the chemical factories of Devnya, the terminal enables effective ship-to factory direct handling of goods. The terminal has modern technologic lines for handling of containers, general cargo, soda ash, fertilisers, cement, coal, ores, phosphates, silica and liquid chemicals. All port berths and warehouses have access to the national rail and road networks.

In recent years, Varna West Port Terminal has proved itself as Bulgaria’s container hub. In 2018, it handled more than 160 thousand TEU. There is a modern information (proprietary) system in place allowing for real time tracking of container’s condition/location by the clients.

In accordance with the current Operational Suitability Certificate, Varna West Port Terminal is capable of handling non-hazardous general cargo (incl. containers), bulk cargo, liquid bulks, ro-ro and containers loaded with dangerous goods of most IMO classes (as per IMDG Code). Various marine and technical services are offered together with many port related activities.

Over the last years, the port terminal has been involved in grain exports as well. A substantial investment was made for this purpose, and the process continued to introduce an innovative system for loading grain into 20’ containers.

Also, the terminal has multi-purpose berths available for handling of various types of cargo as necessary, depending on the specific operational situation. The terminal successfully handles heavy lifts and out-of-gauge traffic, such as wind turbine components, power transformers, line pipes, specific project cargo, etc.

The terminal has:

Quay cranes:

• Mobile cranes: 2 units with capacity 144T; 2 units with capacity 100T; 2 units with capacity 63T

• Portal jib cranes: 26 units with varied capacities up to 32T

• Gantry cranes: 2 units with capacity 35T

Mobile equipment:

• Reachstackers: 10 units with capacity 45T

• Bucket loaders: 24

• Forklift trucks: 31 units with varied capacities 3.5 to 28T

• Terminal tractors: 17

• Container semi-trailers: 24

Other specialised equipment: weighbridges, belt conveyors, quay shiploaders, etc.

Key technical and technologic features