The implementation of a dredging project at Kazakhstans Aktau seaport, aimed at enhancing navigational safety and expanding the throughput capacity of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (Middle Corridor), is continuing.
According to sea-news.az referencing the Ministry of Transport of Kazakhstan, the general contractor for the project is “China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd.” Currently, the preliminary geodetic surveys necessary for the project’s implementation have been successfully completed.
According to the plans, the main dredging works are scheduled to begin in the second half of July this year, with the project expected to be fully completed by the end of this year. Upon completion of the works, the navigational draft for vessels in the port’s water area will be increased to 6–7 meters, which will allow maritime vessels to enter the port fully loaded and increase the efficiency of cargo handling.
The infrastructure project in question will make a significant contribution to increasing the potential of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route. Specifically, there are plans to increase the route’s transport capacity from 6 million to 10 million tons by 2028.
According to the data, global interest in the Middle Corridor is growing rapidly. Based on figures from the first five months of 2026, a 30 percent increase in the volume of container transport along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route in the China–Europe direction has already been recorded.
