Azernews.Az

Dredging operations are set to begin at Kazakhstan’s Aktau port in the Mangistau region to enhance navigation safety and expand terminal capabilities, according to the Ministry of Transport, Azernews reports.

The project, part of the broader effort to develop the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (Middle Corridor), aims to increase the depth of the port's water area by 1.5 to 2 meters. Specialized dredging equipment from European company Jan De Nul will be deployed, with mobilization expected to be completed in May and operations finishing by the fourth quarter of this year.

Currently, Aktau port handles up to 15 million tons of cargo annually, including 140,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (IFU). The expansion will support the rising cargo flow through the Middle Corridor, which saw container volumes increase 3.5 times in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the same period last year, reaching 25,000 IFU.