Azerbaijan aiming to increase Baku Port's cargo turnover 1.7-fold in 5-6 years

BAKU. Feb 12 (Interfax) - Annual cargo turnover through Baku International Sea Trade Port is expected to increase from 15 million tonnes to 25 million tonnes over the next 5-6 years, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said in an interview with the Chinese television channel CGTN.

The port's cargo throughput will therefore grow 1.7-fold.

"Azerbaijan's position regarding the Middle Corridor [the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route] is not just about being a transit country and earning more revenue from transit. Our goal is to build infrastructure along the route passing through Azerbaijan, thereby helping the private sector to benefit from it," Aliyev said.

Azerbaijan has updated the infrastructure of its segment of the Middle Corridor in recent years, he said.

"But right now, we see that the upgraded infrastructure will no longer be sufficient in the next 3-5 years. Our goal was to have a handling capacity of 15 million tonnes at our trade seaport, which we thought would be enough for decades. However, we now expect 25 million tonnes within probably five or six years. So, what are we doing now? We are financing the expansion of our trade seaport and railway infrastructure," he said.

Transport projects are being implemented in Central Asia, many of which are largely funded by the Chinese government, he said.

"Another route leads towards the Caspian Sea, which means towards Azerbaijan. So, we must be absolutely ready for this. I am confident that Chinese President Xi Jinping's Belt and Road initiative will create additional opportunities for all countries. And again, these are opportunities for communication, business, stability and security. Since we are all becoming interdependent. We have a vital infrastructure project that connects us, creating a favorable environment for addressing various bilateral and multilateral issues," he said.

The port, located in Alat 70 kilometers from Baku, has 13 berths, including Ro-Ro terminals, a ferry terminal and a general cargo terminal. In addition to terminals for consumer goods, vehicles and raw materials, a fertilizer terminal is under construction, featuring warehouses with a capacity of 60,000 tonnes.

The port's cargo turnover stood at 7.6 million tonnes in 2024, up 3.2% from 2023. Transit cargo accounted for 70% of the total volume, or more than 5.3 million tonnes.

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.