Developing projects on the basis of environmentally conscious and sustainable approaches, Arkas Holding, in cooperation with its partner Duisport, is building Railport, a land terminal in Kartepe, for which it has been honoured by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). Awarded a bronze medal in the category of “Environmental & Social Best Practice” for its obvious contributions to the environment and the economy through railway transport, the company is lauded for having designed one of the best examples of a complete, end-to-end logistics solution that has become of even higher importance in recent years.
EBRD’s Sustainability Awards 2020, bestowed on environmental and social responsibility projects through a panel of independent judges, were announced. Gold, silver and bronze awards were given to 16 EBRD clients from 11 countries in 5 categories.
Railport, founded by Arkas Holding in partnership with Duisport, the largest intermodal logistics terminal operator in Europe, was nominated for the EBRD Sustainability Awards for its environmental and social benefits by the banking team. In the 2020 awards, which included 47 candidates from teams across the bank, Railport was evaluated on its positive contribution to the Turkish commerce as well as its efficiency and environmentally friendliness as a transport solution. Railport was awarded the bronze medal in the category of Environmental & Social Best Practice.
A pioneering investment by a pioneering company
Being built in Kartepe, Railport aims to carry multimodal logistics centres in Turkey one step further and expand the intermodal network between Europe and Asia. The land port, sprawling across 265,000 square metres of land at the heart of the industry, is intended to function as a transfer terminal where freight can be unloaded and processed. The terminal will supply the China-Turkey Silk Road line and serve the ports of Eastern Marmara.
Initially, railway lines, container stacking areas and a 5,000 square metred warehouse for loading and unloading of freight are set to be built. Railport, with an annual cargo storage capacity of 100,000 containers and 500,000 tons of general cargo, will be an environmentally friendly investment with its rail connection.
About EBRD Sustainability Awards
EBDR has been organizing the Sustainability Awards for more than 10 years. Nominated projects are evaluated on a range of criteria like the management of environmental and social problems, improving energy efficiency and combating climate change. Awards are given in 5 categories. These are: sustainable energy, climate resilience, environmental and social best practice, environmental and social innovation, and gender and economic inclusion.