Aktau port doubles container handling for Trans-Caspian Route

The Aktau seaport in Kazakhstan has processed over 14,300 TEU containers for transportation via the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR, Middle Corridor) in the first five months of 2024, Report informs.

This marks a twofold increase compared to the same period in 2023, according to the railway operator Kazakhstan Temir Zholy, which owns the port.

The total container transshipment through the port for the five months reached over 15,800 TEU, a 50% increase from the same period last year. In May alone, the port handled more than 5,100 TEU.

"We are witnessing a high growth in container traffic, including a twofold increase along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route from China to European countries. Many shippers have redirected their cargo via TITR. Today, this route has high potential. The main advantages are the delivery time and greater safety of goods in transit compared to the Suez Canal route," noted Vadim Novikov, the chief dispatcher of the seaport.

To handle the increased volumes of container cargo, the seaport will receive modern high-capacity handling equipment in August this year, including reach stackers and a gantry crane with a high lifting capacity of 65 tons, designed for handling general and bulk cargo.

The Trans-Caspian International Transport Route is an international transport corridor that runs through China, Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and further to Türkiye and European countries.