Port of Pivdennyi: Ukraine's Deepest Port
Port of Pivdennyi (known as "Yuzhny" until 2016) is located in the city of Yuzhne, Odessa Oblast, approximately 30 km east of Odessa and 65 km from Chornomorsk. It is Ukraine's deepest sea trade port: the maximum draught at certain berths reaches 21 m, enabling the port to receive large-tonnage Panamax and Capesize bulk carriers, supertankers and vessels with a draught that neither Odessa nor Chornomorsk can accommodate.
The port specialises in bulk and liquid cargo: exports of grain, chemical fertilisers, iron ore and petroleum products account for the overwhelming share of its throughput. Container traffic through Pivdennyi is significantly lower than through Chornomorsk. Several private operators are nonetheless developing capacity for container and general cargo handling. Sea delivery through Ukrainian ports — including Pivdennyi — is part of Trans-Hope's comprehensive services: details on the container shipping page.
History and Development
Construction of the port of Yuzhny began in 1975 and was completed in 1978, when the official opening took place. The port was designed to serve large oil tankers: during the Soviet era it housed one of the USSR's main oil terminals on the Black Sea.
In the 1990s, following the collapse of the USSR, the port diversified its cargo base: grain terminals were added and fertiliser transhipment capacity expanded. Throughout the 2000s and 2010s, private operators invested heavily in infrastructure: TIS (Transshipment International Service) built a modern multi-purpose terminal with capacity for grain, fertilisers and containers. Agricultural holding Nibulon constructed its own grain complex with a silo, conveyor systems and a berth for simultaneous loading of multiple vessels. In 2016, as part of Ukraine's decommunisation policy, the port was renamed from "Yuzhny" to "Pivdennyi".
Technical Specifications
Terminals and Operators at Port Pivdennyi
A defining feature of the port is the high proportion of private terminal operators, in contrast to the state-managed ports of Odessa and Chornomorsk.
TIS (Transshipment International Service) — the largest private operator at Pivdennyi. It comprises several specialised divisions: TIS-Grain (grain terminal with storage capacity exceeding 200,000 tonnes), TIS-Mindobriva (fertilisers), TIS-Ruda (bulk cargo — ore and coal) and TIS-Konteynernyy (container terminal). TIS's total annual throughput capacity runs into millions of tonnes.
Nibulon — one of Ukraine's largest agro-industrial holdings. The company built a high-capacity grain complex on port territory, comprising a silo, conveyor systems and a berth capable of loading several vessels simultaneously.
Oil Terminal, part of the port's state infrastructure, receives tankers carrying petroleum products, handling diesel fuel imports and transit traffic.
Cargo Types
Pivdennyi is above all a port for Ukrainian agricultural exports. Typical cargo breakdown (pre-2022):
- Grain and oilseeds — wheat, barley, maize, soya, sunflower oil: 40–50% of throughput;
- Chemical fertilisers — ammonia, urea, ammonium nitrate: 20–25%;
- Ore and metals — iron ore, concentrates, scrap metal: 10–15%;
- Petroleum products — imports and transit: 10–15%;
- Containers and general cargo — 5–10% and growing.
Pivdennyi in 2022–2026
The port was one of three Ukrainian ports that participated in the UN grain corridor in 2022–2023. After the agreement ended in July 2023, exports partially shifted to overland corridors and alternative sea routes. The port has nonetheless continued operations, receiving vessels under current insurance arrangements.
The deep-water nature of Pivdennyi becomes particularly valuable when shallower ports face limitations in receiving large bulk carriers.
Container Shipping Through Port Pivdennyi
Container traffic through Pivdennyi is considerably lower than through Chornomorsk. TIS-Konteynernyy does receive container vessels and provides basic TEU loading and discharge services. For most standard import shipments, Chornomorsk or Odessa remain the logical primary options.
Pivdennyi becomes the right choice when: a specific shipping line offers a direct call there; the cargo is part of a grain or chemical shipment; or the consignment is project cargo requiring deep berth draught.
For port freight forwarding and customs clearance at Pivdennyi, contact Trans-Hope specialists: we work with all three Ukrainian ports and select the route individually for each shipment.
How does Port Pivdennyi differ from Chornomorsk and Odessa?
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