Powering Romania’s Grain Flows: COFCO’s New Danube River Fleet
COFCO International has launched its own river barge fleet in Romania, strengthening the company’s logistics network and improving connections between its origination and assets along the Danube and the Black Sea.
The new fleet, consisting of four push boats and 29 barges, links the company’s nine river and inland silos directly to its deep-sea port terminal in Constanta. Each barge can carry over 1,000 metric tonnes of grains such as corn, wheat and barley, providing greater flexibility, efficiency, and control over the transport of goods.
Irina Micu, Barge Fleet Planner at COFCO International Romania
“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
This investment responds to growing demand: COFCO International currently moves over 2 million tonnes of grain per year via barge from Central European origins to Constanta. In recent years, the company’s 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 favour waterborne logistics. Transporting goods by barge also helps reduce road congestion and contributes to lower greenhouse gas emissions compared to other modes of transport.
Each barge can carry over 1,000 metric tonnes of grains
Bogdan Gavaneanu, Pusher captain, Constanta Port, COFCO International
