Makhachkala port to start handling diesel for export to Iran in Dec

ASTRAKHAN. Nov 15 (Interfax) - The Makhachkala Commercial Seaport (MMTP) in the southern Russian region of Dagestan plans to start handling diesel fuel for export in December, MMTP CEO Dzhamal Aliyev told reporters.

"We will probably grow a little in dry cargo [handling] this year. For liquid cargo we will stay at the same level as last year due to sanctions pressure. But next year we'll also improve slightly in liquid cargo, though by a small amount. This is because in December we're starting to also handle diesel for export," Aliyev said at the North-South International Transport Corridor - New Horizons forum in Astrakhan.

He said there are plans to export diesel to Iran through MMTP. His presentation showed that the port is located near the largest tank farm in the North Caucasus, which is connected to the Baku-Novorossiysk trunk oil pipeline. The first train with diesel fuel has already arrived at the tank farm.

In terms of dry cargo, this year the port has handled more cement, which Russia imports from Iran, Aliyev said.

It was reported earlier that MMTP also started handling potassium fertilizer from Belarus this November.

MMTP plans to increase cargo handling by 5-10% in 2024 on the back of the growth of grain and cement transhipments. The port handled 2.939 million tonnes of cargo in 2023.

MMTP is Russia's only ice-free and deep-water port on the Caspian Sea and can accommodate vessels up to 150 meters long with a draft of up to 4.5 meters, the port's website said. The port has facilities that handle dry cargo, with capacity of 3 million tonnes per year; light and dark oil products (7.9 million tonnes); and general, bulk and container cargo (1.2 million tonnes). It also has a railway and automobile terminal (1.3 million tonnes) and grain terminal (0.5 million tonnes).