Caspian development takes shape

Construction of the port reflects the former Soviet country’s aim to become a major trade hub between Europe and Central Asia and, on completion, it is likely to be the biggest port in the Caspian Sea. Until now, the port of Baku has held that title. Described as the ‘main marine gateway to Azerbaijan’, Baku operates year-round and is strategically important when the Russian inner waterways are navigable between April and November, with ships loading cargoes for direct voyages from West European and Mediterranean ports.

On the eastern side of the Caspian, Kazakhstan’s only sea port, Aktau International Sea Commercial Port, handled nearly 11m tonnes of dry and oil/liquid bulk cargoes last year. Throughput was dominated by crude oil and oil products, which amounted to 7.6m tonnes.

Aktau is part of a project to develop a ro-ro network on the Caspian Sea, which would include rail links. Led by IGC (Intergovernmental Commission) TRACECA (Transport Corridor Europe Caucasus Asia), the ‘Silk Wind’ project partners include Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey.

Meanwhile, Turkmenistan’s Maritime and River Transport is involved in talks to set up a new Euroasian transport corridor, via Turkmenbashi, a route that could use special containers and run across the Caspian Sea to Baku, with onward movement by rail. Turkmenistan has signed an agreement with Romania to set up a joint transport working group to ‘identify and recommend the best way to progress with a commodity transport corridor from the Black Sea to the Caspian Sea, using the advantages of Constanta and Turkmenbashi ports’.