The potential of the Caspian Sea ports along the Trans-Caspian route is increasing - what is the role of Georgia in this project?

22/08/2022

10:40

Economic

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The countries of the Caspian region are increasing the potential of their ports along the Trans-Caspian route, while Azerbaijan occupies the key place in this chain and is becoming a hub for oil and gas supply in the region.

Reportedly, last week, the Chairman of the Board of Kazakhstan's state oil company KazMunayGaz, Magzum Mirzagaliyev, and the president of Azerbaijan's energy giant SOCAR, Rovshan Najaf, met to discuss the cooperation between the companies in the development of the Trans-Caspian infrastructure. Mirzagaliyev also came to Georgia and got acquainted with the work of the Batumi oil terminal, as well as the Batumi sea port.

"With the successful cooperation between Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Georgia, the parties can ensure the delivery of the Kazakh oil to the European Union markets through the railway infrastructure and Baku-Batumi ports, and further transportation through the Black Sea to Romania. Thus, the Trans-Caspian route may become an important corridor for the supply of oil and oil products from the Caspian region to the Eurozone markets,” – Mirzagaliyev said.

In addition, the Acting Chairman of the Transport Committee under the Ministry of Industry and Infrastructure Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kasim Tlepov said last month that “Kazakhstan plans to build its own ferry fleet of 10 vessels, as well as a new port on the Caspian Sea to increase export potential.” It is also planned that after the transit in the port of Baku, the Kazakh oil will be exported to the world markets through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan export oil pipeline. The design capacity of this oil pipeline is 60 million tons per year, although its actual load last year was only 26 million tons.

The annual throughput of the Caspian Sea ports by country is as follows:

Azerbaijan:

Baku port - 5.9 million tons

Dubendi port - million tons

Sangachal port - 8 million tons

Kazakhstan:

Aktau port - 14.7 million tons

Kuruk port- 6 million tons

Atyrai port - 1.8 million tons

Turkmenistan:

Garabogaz port - 15 million tons

Tukmenbashi port - 17 million tons