Kazakhstan"s Caspian Ports See Cargo Surge in 2024

The Sarzha terminal at Kuryk port also played a key role, handling 55,000 tons of cargo, including non-ferrous metals, fertilizers, and barley, bound for Turkey and Iran.

Photo: gov.kz

Kazakhstan's Ministry of Transport has reported a strong performance from the country’s Caspian Sea ports, with total cargo throughput reaching 6.2 million tons from January to October 2024, marking a 3% increase over the same period last year. 

The growth in transit cargo shipments was particularly robust, rising by 18%, The Caspian Post reports, citing the ministry.

The Kuryk port’s ferry complex saw truck transshipment rise by 22%, while container transport through the Aktau port surged by an impressive 84%, with approximately 27,000 containers transported along the key East-West transit route.

The Sarzha terminal at Kuryk port also played a key role, handling 55,000 tons of cargo, including non-ferrous metals, fertilizers, and barley, bound for Turkey and Iran. Additionally, a new grain terminal with an annual capacity of 1 million tons was officially opened at Kuryk port in October.

As part of ongoing efforts to enhance port capacity, Kazakhstan's Ministry of Transport has undertaken dredging operations at Kuryk to ensure sufficient depth for larger vessels, further strengthening the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR). These improvements are set to support Kuryk’s terminal capacity, which currently stands at 6 million tons annually—4 million tons through its railway terminal and 2 million tons through its automobile terminal.