On 16 April 2019, the first Kazakhstan feeder vessel “Turkestan” with containers was launched from the sea port of Aktau to the port of Baku.

The event was attended by Chairman of the Board of Sovereign Wealth Fund Samruk-Kazyna JSC Akhmetzhan Yessimov, akim of Mangistau region Eraly Tugzhanov, Chairman of the Board of Kazakhstan Temir Zholy NC JSC Sauat Mynbayev, Chairman of the Board of KazMunaiGas NC JSC Alik Aidarbayev, heads of transport and logistics companies and shippers using the service on the TRANS-Caspian route.

Feeder transport uses vessels with a capacity of 225 twenty-foot containers, which enables the loading of two full container trains into a single vessel.
Consolidated transit cargo from China to Europe along with Kazakhstan export cargo in containers will be transported in an accelerated mode. Employees of Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey are ready to provide transportation of transit cargo as part of container trains running from Lianyungang to Istanbul for 16 days.

At the same time, the active use of the logistics infrastructure of the border station Altynkol, the Dry Port of Khorgos Eastern Gate Special Economic Zone, the sea port of Aktau will ensure the efficiency of transit traffic through the territory of Kazakhstan.

Feeder vessels will run regularly on a weekly basis, which contributes to the increase of cargo traffic on the TRANS-Caspian international transport route and the further development of the containerisation of goods in the Caspian region.

“The TRANS-Caspian route is a key link of the Eurasian transport arteries and complements the system of transit corridors of Kazakhstan. To attract reverse traffic from Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan in the direction of China, we have established a reduction factor that makes this route competitive”, said Sauat Mynbayev.

As part of the event, Kazakhstan Temir Zholy NC JSC and KazMunaiGas NC JSC signed a General Agreement for the transportation of dry cargo.

(Source: KTZ)