Kazakhstan Inaugurates Major Container Hub at Aktau Port

On June 9, Kazakhstan officially launched the largest container hub on the Caspian Sea, situated within its Aktau port.  The project, spearheaded by Kazakhstan’s national railway company, Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ), was implemented in collaboration with China's Lianyungang port and the Aktau International Sea Trade Port. China Communications Construction Company, a prominent Chinese state corporation specializing in transport infrastructure, served as the general contractor. During the opening ceremony, Nurlan Zhakupov, Chairman of the Board of the National Welfare Fund Samruk-Kazyna, highlighted the joint efforts of Samruk-Kazyna and KTZ in advancing Kazakhstan’s transit and transport potential, a key strategic objective for the nation. "Over the 10 years of KTZ's partnership with the port of Lianyungang, the Kazakh-Chinese terminal in Lianyungang, the Khorgos Gateway Dry Port, and now the container hub in Aktau have been opened. This project is an important step in the development of transport and logistics in Kazakhstan," he stated. The newly inaugurated hub is expected to significantly accelerate the processing of containerized cargo, enhance transit capabilities, and reinforce Kazakhstan's pivotal role as a strategic link on both the East-West and North-South transport routes. The operational launch of the hub was marked by the arrival of the 100,000th container from China, transported via the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), a rapidly expanding trade corridor connecting China and Europe through Kazakhstan.

Kazakhstan Launches Dredging Project to Expand Aktau Port on Key Trans-Caspian Corridor

Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Transport has initiated dredging works at the Caspian Sea port of Aktau, aiming to enhance the capacity and navigational safety of a critical hub on the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), also known as the Middle Corridor. The Aktau port, located in the Mangistau region, is being deepened by 1.5 to 2 meters using specialized dredging equipment supplied by European contractor Jan De Nul. Mobilization of the equipment is set to be completed in May, with full dredging operations scheduled for completion by the fourth quarter of 2025. The project is expected to significantly increase the port's terminal capacity. Currently, Aktau handles approximately 15 million tons of cargo annually, including up to 140,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs). This infrastructure enhancement forms part of Kazakhstan’s broader strategy to develop the TITR, a key transit corridor linking China to Europe through Central Asia and the Caucasus. According to the Ministry of Transport, container traffic via the TITR through Kazakhstan surged by 3.5 times in the first quarter of 2025, reaching 25,000 TEUs, up from 7,200 TEUs during the same period in 2024. In a related development, Kazakhstan completed dredging works at another major Caspian port, Kuryk, in November 2024. That project, also executed by Jan De Nul Kazakhstan LLP, was finished in just four months. The water depth at Kuryk was increased to 7-8 meters, substantially enhancing its handling capacity and reinforcing its strategic importance on the Trans-Caspian route.