Iran's IRISL to build another two vessels at Astrakhan shipyards

ASTRAKHAN. Nov 14 (Interfax) - Khazar Sea Shipping Lines, a subsidiary of Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL), plans to commission the construction of another two vessels at Astrakhan shipyards, the head of Khazar Sea Shipping Lines' commercial office in Russia, Yekaterina Adler told reporters.

"The subsidiary of IRISL acquired two Russian dry cargo ships in the past, the Nevsky Bereg and Baltiysky Bereg in St. Petersburg, and the Kaspiysky Bereg is being built at the Lotos shipyard [in Astrakhan]. We plan to not only open dry cargo lines, but also container shipments and shipment of oils, so we are considering the possibility of building a liquid cargo vessel and container ship at Astrakhan shipyards in the near future," Adler said at the North-South International Transport Corridor forum in Astrakhan.

The exact timing of when the contracts will be signed is not yet clear, she added.

The Nevsky Bereg and Baltiysky Bereg had capacity of more than 3,500 tonnes each. The Baltiysky Bereg made its first voyage in the Caspian Sea in November 2023. The Lotos shipyard, a division of the United Shipbuilding Corporation's Southern Shipbuilding and Repair Center, floated the RSD-49 series Kaspiysky Bereg in March 2024 and it is now being prepared for delivery to the customer.

Khazar Sea Shipping Lines, according to its website, owns 30 dry cargo vessels equipment for shipping general cargo, containers and bulk cargo. The company's routes encompass many Caspian ports in Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan, as well as all of Iran's northern ports.