Confidential Client, Bulgaria. Evaluation of bulk terminal concession in Port of Bourgas. Seaport Consultants Canada introduced the client to a concession opportunity in the Port of Bourgas and conducted a preliminary financial evaluation of two concession options: a bulk terminal, and a mixed bulk and general cargo terminal. Seaport assembled data on the port and terminals, evaluated alternative concession structures for the concessions, estimated operating costs and developed a competitive tariff. The company then used this information to evaluate the financial feasibility of the concessions and performed sensitivity analyses for the selected option. Seaport subsequently developed the outline and content of a proposal to be presented to the Bulgarian authorities for the concession.

PADECO Co., Ltd for Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), Bulgaria. Port of Bourgas expansion project and port concessions. Seaport Consultants Canada provided port management expertise to assess the impact of a new bulk terminal on the future operations of the port. Seaport also evaluated options for the transfer of cargo handling activities from the Port of Bourgas Authority, a public corporation, to the private sector as operating concessions. Seaport’s work included:

• Evaluating the ability of the Port of Bourgas (the model port for privatization in Bulgaria) to achieve a competitive environment with private sector participation.

• Evaluating the port privatization policies of the Government of Bulgaria and providing assistance to the Government to assess the options for private sector participation in ports.

• Advising the Government of Bulgaria on regulatory changes to facilitate private sector participation and to implement a uniform strategy for the privatization of port activities at all Bulgarian ports.

• Identifying areas of improvement within the Port of Bourgas necessary as a prelude to privatization and recommending the scope of activities for private sector involvement in line with the government’s privatization policies.

• Evaluating the options for breaking up the port into port concession packages and recommending the port concession packages to be privatized.

• Developing a privatization strategy and a roadmap of the process to be followed by the Government of Bulgaria to transform port activities into port concessions to be operated by the private sector.