BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 28. The Baku port ranks among the crucial hubs of the Middle Corridor, as there is no other multipurpose cargo port with comparable capacity and operational capabilities within Azerbaijan or on the western coast of the Caspian Sea.
This was stated in the World Bank report “Integration: World-Class Trade Logistics along the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor.”
According to the document, the capacity of the Port of Baku is set to increase from the current 15 million to 25 million tons of cargo, while container handling capacity will rise from 150,000 to 260,000 TEUs in the first phase, with a subsequent increase to approximately 500,000–650,000 TEUs.
"The expansion entails, among other things, dredging operations in the existing approach channel, as well as work in existing and planned berth areas.
In 2025, the Baku port handled 8.2 million tons of cargo, including 107,000 TEUs. The port's container throughput grew by 39 percent year-on-year," the report recalled.
The report also noted that the port has experience in implementing public-private partnerships.
"For instance, a fertilizer transshipment terminal was established with private sector participation, and the involvement of private stevedoring companies was expanded in specific general cargo and container handling operations," the report said.
According to World Bank estimates, the ongoing expansion of the Baku port to a capacity of 25 million tons and approximately 500,000–650,000 TEUs, including the construction of new terminals, such as a specialized container terminal, creates an opportunity to shift the port's management model.
The document pointed out that this process allows for a broader application of the "landlord port" management model and the engagement of one or more leading international private operators to manage the new terminals under long-term concession agreements awarded through a competitive process.
