- The first cellular container vessel, named PROS HOPE, entered the Ukrainian Black Sea ports on April 21, marking the first such instance since the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
- The PROS HOPE, a vessel built in 2005 with a capacity of 1,118 TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units), is chartered by the Ukrainian company ITERIS. It visited the port of Chornomorsk in Ukraine, delivering break-bulk cargo and then loaded the first export container post-invasion.
- Before PROS HOPE, the multi-purpose cargo vessel T-MARE, capable of carrying 373 TEUs, had delivered the initial containers from Constanta, Romania to Chornomorsk since the onset of the war.
- Informal BG, a Ukrainian cargo analytics firm, reported that PROS HOPE is expected to replace T-MARE, with the latter’s last voyage scheduled for April 23. PROS HOPE is set to be joined by another cellular vessel soon to relaunch direct Ukrainian feeder service to the port of Chornomorsk.
Resumption of Maritime Trade in Ukraine Amid Conflict
The first cellular container vessel was called the Ukrainian Black Sea ports on 21 April for the first time after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, according to Informal BG, a Ukrainian cargo analytical company.
In particular, the 2005-built, 1,118 TEU PROS HOPE, a cellular container vessel chartered by the Ukrainian company ITERIS, called the port of Chornomorsk in Ukraine, delivering break-bulk cargo before picking up the first export container from Ukraine.
Earlier, T-MARE, a multi-purpose cargo vessel capable of carrying 373 TEUs, delivered the first containers from Constanta, Romania to Chornomorsk, since the beginning of the war.
Expansion of Container Shipping Services in Ukraine
Informall BG reported that PROS HOPE is expected to replace the multi-purpose cargo vessel T-MARE whose last voyage was scheduled for 23 April. Additionally, PROS HOPE will be joined by another cellular vessel in the next months, and both will re-launch direct Ukrainian feeder service to the Port of Chornomorsk, according to the report.
“The possibility of restoring container service to larger container terminals in the Port of Odesa remains uncertain, pending considerations by stakeholders and the Ukrainian Armed Forces,” said Informal BG in its analysis.
Daniil Melnychenko, Analytics consultant at Informal BG, commented, “The restoration of the Ukrainian feeder service marks a significant step towards restoring traditional container shipping to Ukraine avoiding complex overland transit procedures that still exist with ports of Poland and Romania. This initiative not only creates business opportunities but also addresses the pressing humanitarian needs of the country finally allowing to decrease logistics cost and delivery time.”
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Source: container-news
