ASTANA, Kazakhstan, July 6. A ceremony took place on July 4 in Galati, Romania, marking the acceptance of two new oil tankers, Taraz and Liwa, which have joined the Kazakh maritime fleet, Trend reports.
As noted by KazMunayGas, the national oil company of Kazakhstan, the tankers, with a deadweight tonnage of 8,000 tons, are owned by Caspian Integrated Maritime Solutions Ltd. joint venture. The shareholders of the venture include Kazmortransflot National Maritime Shipping Company and UAE's Abu Dhabi Ports Group.
During the ceremony, it was highlighted that the acquisition of the Taraz and Liwa tankers represents a significant step in the development of the Trans-Caspian route. The purchase of these tankers is in line with the directive from President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, to enhance alternative oil export routes.
Meanwhile, since March 2023, Kazakh oil has been shipped via the Aktau-Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan route, with an annual volume of 1.5 million tons. Kazakhstan and the UAE transport oil through the Aktau-Baku maritime route on an equal basis. The two acquired tankers will fully meet Kazakhstan's commitment to transporting 750,000 tons of oil per year.
The vessels were constructed at the Damen Shipyard Galati owned by the Dutch Damen company. The tankers have a length of 140 meters, width of 16.7 meters, draft of 4.2 meters, and a speed of 10 knots.
Furthermore, Kazmortransflot and Damen Shipyards have signed a memorandum of understanding for the construction of new tankers with a deadweight tonnage of 12,000 tons and universal ferries for the Caspian Sea.
