COFCO launches barge fleet in Romania

COFCO International has launched a new Danube River barge fleet in Romania consisting of four push boats and 29 barges to strengthen its logistics network along the Danube and Black Sea.

Each barge can carry over 1,000 tonnes of grains such as corn, wheat and barley, providing greater flexibility, efficiency and control over the transport of goods, COFCO said. The new fleet links the company’s nine river and inland silos directly to its deep-sea port terminal in Constanta.

COFCO International said it moves over 2 million tonnes of grain per year by barge from Central European origins to Constanta. In recent years, the company noted that its barge usage on the Danube has tripled, driven by the efficiency of river transport compared with trucks and rail, as well as regional infrastructure challenges that favor waterborne logistics.

“The barges connect the COFCO river silos to Constanta terminal, and they offer COFCO a more flexible transport of the goods,” said Irina Micu, barge fleet planner at COFCO International Romania.

Transporting goods by barge also helps reduce road congestion and contributes to lower greenhouse gas emissions compared to other modes of transport, COFCO said, noting that one barge carrying grain can displace 40 rail wagons or 70 trucks.

Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, COFCO International is part of COFCO Fortune, the core agriculture and food business unit of China-based COFCO Group. The company has 12,399 employees in 36 countries.

Tags: COFCO, river shipping, Danube ports, Constanta, Romania