In the near future, Kazakhstan plans to start construction of a container hub in the port of Aktau, which will increase its capacity to 300,000 TEU per year. It is also planned to modernize the port’s handling equipment, according to the press service of the Ministry of Transport of the Republic. At the same time, the implementation of the Sarzha multifunctional terminal project with a total capacity of about 9.4 million tons continues in the port of Kuryk.
This information was presented by Vice Minister of Transport of Kazakhstan Maxat Kaliakparov at the Exporters Forum and China (Sichuan) – Kazakhstan 2024 Trade and Economic Cooperation Conference. Discussing the development prospects of transport cooperation between the two countries, he also mentioned the construction of a Kazakh logistics terminal in the Chinese “dry port” of Xi’an, which will consolidate cargo for container shipment to Europe.
Emphasizing that all these measures contribute to the development of logistics routes between China and Europe and the improvement of transportation links between the two countries, the Vice Minister noted that they are aimed at ensuring uninterrupted development of exports, imports, transit, and overall trade turnover.
It was previously reported that the construction of a container hub in the sea port of Aktau, which is part of the Caspian transport and logistics hub, is planned to be completed by 2025. The launch of the facility will increase freight traffic along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TMTM).
The sea port of Aktau, located on the eastern coast of the Caspian Sea, is an important hub connecting Kazakhstan, Iran, Azerbaijan, Russia, and Turkey. It is part of the NC Kazakhstan Temir Zholy group of companies and handles dry cargo, oil, and oil products.
The freight turnover of the ports of Aktau and Kuryk within the TMTM project in 2023 increased by 1.86 times compared to the previous year, reaching 2.8 million tons.