While this is not the Heryh family’s first venture into port infrastructure, the scale of the project has drawn attention. Comparable capacities exist only at leading operators such as TransBulk (≈7 Mt), TIS-Grain, Neptune Grain Terminal, Nika-Tera (4–5 Mt), and Risoil Terminal (≈3.5 Mt). Analysts note Ukraine is already facing an oversupply of port capacity, while grain volumes remain relatively flat. Transshipment rates have dropped to $7–8 per ton, down from $25 during the grain corridor period, intensifying competition and prompting a cautious market response to the entry of a new player.
Pivdennyi Seaport, located on the shores of the Adzhalyk Estuary, is Ukraine’s deepest and one of the largest logistics hubs. While the right bank is home to major players like TIS and MV Cargo, and the left to Odesa Port Plant, Boryvazh, and Delta Wilmar, available land remains for greenfield developments.
Epicentr K, Ukraine’s largest home improvement retailer and parent of Epicentr Agro, has aggressively expanded into agriculture since 2015. The company now operates 170,000 hectares of farmland, owns 2 million tons of storage capacity, and produces 1 million tons of grain annually. In 2024, it launched its own grain trading business, and a proprietary port terminal is the final link in its vertical integration strategy.
Plans for the new terminal were first publicly mentioned by Epicentr CEO Petro Mykhailyshyn in November 2024, and later confirmed by Head of Agri-Division Svitlana Nykytiuk, who said a full project concept was under development. In 2025, it was revealed that Epicentr (via Cyprus-based Casablanca Shipping Ltd.) acquired 32.61% of Odesa-based Promtekhinvatsiia LLC, while the remaining 67.39% is held by Ihor, Kateryna, and Denys Urbansky. This joint venture holds lease rights to 32 hectares of land along the T1606 road and port water area, sufficient for a full-scale grain terminal.
Industry experts see the Epicentr–Urbansky alliance as a strategic fit: Epicentr contributes grain volumes and capital, while the Urbansky side brings access to port infrastructure. Initial plans envisioned a 10 Mt terminal, but the finalized design targets 5 Mt per year of transshipment and 250,000 tons of simultaneous storage. The terminal will include a 10-hectare rail yard with 3 Mt annual capacity (up to five trains per day), wagon unloading stations (2,000 t/h), truck unloading (1,000 t/h), ~50 silos for storage, and a 1.6 km conveyor corridor. A 350-meter berth with 16-meter depth and two cranes (1,500 t/h each) is planned. Commissioning is targeted for 2026.
The site selection is widely considered advantageous. Valeriy Tkachev, Deputy Director at Ukrzaliznytsia, emphasized that Pivdennyi retains expansion potential, unlike constrained Odesa and Chornomorsk. However, the terminal's success depends on rail throughput, with some experts questioning whether 10 hectares will suffice. Concerns have also been raised about reliance on the idle Promyslova station, part of the Odesa Port Plant, which could create conflicts if the plant resumes operations. While the project targets 250 railcars per day, actual throughput may be significantly lower — around 25 cars daily — unless further investments are made.
Despite challenges, the new terminal could reshape market dynamics. In a landscape of falling transshipment fees and tightening margins, another large operator may increase pressure on incumbents. For Epicentr, the project signifies a long-term play to build a fully integrated logistics ecosystem, mirroring strategies employed by Kernel and Nibulon. Its success will depend not only on infrastructure and investment but on the ability to navigate bottlenecks in rail logistics and establish strategic alliances with other market players.
