Kazakhstan's Aktau seaport doubles Trans-Caspian International Transport Route container handling

ALMATY. June 17 (Interfax) - Kazakhstan's Aktau seaport doubled Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR) container handling to 14,300 TEU in January-May, Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ), the national railway operator which controls the port, said in a press release.

The port handled over 15,800 TEU of containers in total, up 50% year-on-year, including 5,100 TEU in May.

"Container transportation in increasing, including along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route from the China to European countries. Many carriers have now switched to TITR to transport cargoes. This route has high potential, and its main advantage is the travel time and safety if compared with the Suez Canal," Vadim Novikov, the chief dispatcher of the seaport, was quoted as saying.

Aktau Commercial Seaport's handling capacity is 2.5 million tonnes of dry cargo a year - the grain terminal can handle 4,000 tonnes per day - as well as 12 million tonnes of petroleum cargo at six terminals and 2 million tonnes of ferry cargo per year. In September 2023, the Aktau seaport was granted the status of an international seaport.

The Trans-Caspian International Transport Route is an international transport corridor that runs through China, Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and further to Turkey and European countries. The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway is part of the corridor. The capacity of TITR is expected to reach 10 million tonnes of cargo a year by 2025.