ASTANA – The ports of Aktau and Kuryk have been incorporated into the Seaport Aktau special economic zone (SEZ) following a presidential decree to increase Kazakhstan’s transport and logistics potential, the Central Communications Service reported on June 13.
Photo credit: ortcom.kz. Click to see the map in full size. The map is designed by The Astana Times.
The Bautino cargo area is also now part of the SEZ.
The inclusion will boost investment in the Mangystau Region and create one of the largest international transport corridors with the world’s best logistics companies.
The benefits offered within the Seaport Aktau SEZ will impel investment projects, including the construction of a container hub at the Aktau port by the end of 2025 and the full equipment of ports with modern transshipment units.
Kazakhstan has become an international transport corridor hub through the Aktau port, which accounts for 40% of the total transportation traffic on the Caspian Sea.
With six oil docks with an annual capacity of 12 million tons, the Aktau port transports dry cargo, oil and crude from east to west, north to south to Azerbaijan, Iran, Russia, and Turkmenistan.
With four docks, the Kuryk port exports oil, metals and chemicals to Baku, informed port director Serik Akhmetov.
“Some cargoes are shipped to Europe, further along the Black Sea. The products made in Belarus, Italy, and Russia are transported to other regions of our country,” he added.
Due to the geopolitical situation, cargo transportation through the Kuryk port this year doubled to over 550,000 tons.
The construction of another harbor to transport heavy cargo and containers is underway to increase traffic. From 2024, it plans to receive Kazakhstan’s ferries, which will facilitate the opening of new routes with two ports in Iran and Russia.
