Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Transport says works have begun on dredging the port of Kuryk on the Caspian Sea coast. The bottom at the port will be deepened by 1.5-2 meters, which will increase its cargo transshipment capacity and further increase the potential of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR).
A large European company, Jan de Nul, has signed a contract with Kazakhstan to complete dredging works on a turnkey basis using its specialized dredging equipment.
According to the Ministry of Transport, the capacity of the Kuryk port is 6 million tons of cargo (railway terminal — 4 million tons and automobile terminal — 2 million tons). The port also has the capacity to simultaneously accommodate 250 trucks.
Dredging will also be carried out in another Kazakh port on the Caspian — Aktau.
The ministry says the project is part of the comprehensive measures aimed at the development of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, also known as the Middle Corridor connecting China and Europe via Central Asia and the Caucasus.
According to the ministry, the volume of cargo transportation through Kazakhstan along the TITR for 7 months of this year increased by 62% and amounted to 2.5 million tons, compared to 1.6 million tons in the same period in 2023.
