BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 1. Kazakhstan expects the delivery of eight more container ships by 2028, Deputy Chairman of the Railway and Water Transport Committee at the Ministry of Transport of Kazakhstan, Kasym Tlepov, said during a World Bank Group online event titled "Middle Corridor: Next Stage" today, Trend’s correspondent reports.
“Today, the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route is not just a multimodal cross-border route, but it's the result and indicator of our synchronized work,” he said.
According to Tlepov, the integration of the Middle Corridor participants has already moved from statements to practical interaction.
“We are working today together with our Azerbaijani colleagues, realizing that we do not have enough ships in the Caspian Sea to transport containers and ferry cargo. Through joint efforts, firstly, we have increased the fleet that today is engaged in regular container feeder transportation. If before this, at the beginning of the year, only three ships were operating, today we have increased it to 12 ships,” said the deputy chairman of the committee.
He noted that the vessels operate on a regular basis, but the ongoing decline in the level of the Caspian Sea requires updating the fleet.
“Moreover, taking into account the fact that the Caspian Sea has been shallowing for a long time, the level is falling, and with the understanding that those ships that are in operation today, their profitability is already practically declining, we came to the conclusion that it is necessary to build other ships, of course, with a shallower draft, but with a greater carrying capacity, wider ones,” Tlepov explained.
According to him, if existing container ships can carry a maximum of about 300 TEU, then new ships will have much greater capacity.
"While current container ships can carry a maximum of 300 TEUs, we have two vessels currently under construction at the Baku Shipyard that will be able to carry up to 780," he said.
According to Tlepov, another two vessels are being built at the Baku Shipyard, while four are under construction in China.
"In total, we expect to have eight additional vessels in operation for container shipping by around 2028," he noted.
Tlepov also said that Kazakhstan is creating opportunities for businesses to acquire vessels for maritime transport through a financial leasing program.
"Furthermore, by implementing a financial leasing program, we are enabling businesses to access low-cost financing and invest in the acquisition of vessels for maritime transport," he added.
