ASTANA, Kazakhstan, December 12. Kazakhstan plans to include the Ural-Caspian Canal as part of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR, or Middle Corridor), said Transport Minister Marat Karabayev during a government meeting, Trend reports.
The total length of waterways in Kazakhstan exceeds 2,100 km. Shipping is carried out in the Irtysh, Ural-Caspian and Ili-Balkhash basins. The river transport infrastructure includes 779 vessels and 3 river ports in Atyrau, Pavlodar and Ust-Kamenogorsk.
In 2023, 1.6 million tons of cargo were transported by river transport, of which more than 90 percent was carried in the Irtysh basin.
According to forecasts from the Ministry of Transport, in the next 3 years, transportation volumes can be increased to 4.6 million tons.
An increase of 2-2.5 million tons can be achieved by unlocking the transit capabilities of the Irtysh. To develop communication between Russia and China, it is planned to build a new shipping lock near the city of Semey, a port near the village of Tugyl and a railway to the border with China on the Tugyl - Maykapchagay section.
An additional 1 million tons could ensure the restoration of transportation through the Ural-Caspian Canal and its inclusion in the TITR. The implementation of this project will expand the export capabilities of companies such as Kazakhstan Petrochemical Industries and Tengizchevroil.
The Middle Corridor is a transportation and trade route that connects Asia and Europe, passing through several countries in the region. It is an alternative route to the traditional Northern Corridor and Southern Corridor.
The route starts in China and crosses Central Asian countries such as Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. It then passes through the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Türkiye before reaching Europe.
The Middle Corridor offers a land route that connects the eastern parts of Asia, including China, with Europe, bypassing the longer maritime routes.
