BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 24. Kazakhstan plans to complete the dredging project in the water area of Aktau Port by the end of 2026, the country’s Ministry of Transport reported.
The project is aimed at improving navigation safety and increasing the capacity of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR, or Middle Corridor).
According to the ministry, the general contractor, China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd., has already completed geodetic surveys and processed the data required for project implementation.
As part of the preparatory phase, mobilization of specialized dredging vessels, machinery and equipment is underway. Construction of a protective embankment at the reclamation site is also continuing. To date, 680 meters of the structure have been completed out of the planned total length of 785 meters.
“Start of the main dredging works is scheduled for the second half of July this year. The project is expected to be fully completed by the end of 2026. Upon completion, the navigable draft in the port’s water area will be increased to 6–7 meters, which will allow vessels to operate at full load capacity and improve cargo handling efficiency,” the ministry said.
The ministry expects the project to become one of the drivers of further expansion of the TITR’s capacity, which is planned to increase from 6 million tons to 10 million tons by 2028.
The development is expected to further strengthen Kazakhstan’s role as a key transport and logistics hub along the East–West corridor.
According to the ministry, container traffic along the China–Europe route via the TITR increased by 30 percent in the first five months of 2026.
