Baltic Hub, the largest container terminal in the Baltic Sea, reflects on a record-breaking 2023 filled with significant investments and new partnerships. The company is optimistic about the future, unveiling ambitious plans for the coming years.
From February 1 to 3, the International Digital Forum DIGITAL ALMATY – 2024 was held in Almaty, which became a key place for discussing digital initiatives and trends in the transport industry. KTZ Express’ participation at the forum allowed the company to study in detail current issues of digital development, including the creation of an integrated EAEU information system for intercountry and transit transportation.
From December 3 to December 10, 2023, Hao Guochi, General Director of International Logistics CRCT Kazakhstan, and his team traveled to Azerbaijan and Georgia to assess the effectiveness of the Caspian route. Launched in 2017, this 11,000-kilometer transport route currently has a capacity of 6 million tons per year, with plans to reach 10 million tons per year by 2025. In 2022, cargo traffic along the route increased 2.5 times, reaching 1.48 million tons.
The visit of World Bank representatives to the port of Aktau was a key step in solving the problem of the falling level of the Caspian Sea, which has become a real challenge for the regional community. A team of experts from HR Wallingford will carry out extensive research over the next 18 months, including analyzing historical data, using regional climate models and creating digital elevation and hydrology models.
General Director of STK KAZLOGISTICS Erlan Absatov met with the Ambassador of Lithuania to Kazakhstan, Egidius Navis, to discuss key issues, including the upcoming intergovernmental commission and the activities of the Kazakh-Lithuanian Business Council. The agreement signed in 2022 between the Union of Transport Workers of Kazakhstan and the Confederation of Industrialists of Lithuania implies the strengthening of Kazakh-Lithuanian cooperation.
KTZ Express is intensifying efforts to implement digital services, with the final stages underway for the pre-project work on the “Unified Digital Window” initiative. This project aims to integrate sales channels, ensuring seamless communication between clients and all subsidiaries of JSC “NC” KTZ.”
TMA Logistics is set to introduce a train shuttle service connecting the ports of Rotterdam and Amsterdam, operating four times a week with designated slots at deep-sea terminals in Rotterdam. By utilizing terminals such as RWG, ECT Rotterdam, and APM2, the shuttle aims to alleviate traffic congestion on the heavily traveled A4 highway, emphasizing its environmentally friendly approach.
The European Union, through the CEF2027 program, has approved partial funding for the development of a multimodal railway transshipment hub in the port of Szczecin at Ostrów Grabowski. The Szczecin and Świnoujście Seaports Authority secured the CEF-T-2023-MILMOB-WORKS grant, covering 50% of eligible investment costs, totaling EUR 4,351,923.86 or PLN 19,583,653. The overall project cost is EUR 8,975,539.99, equivalent to PLN 40,389,000, with eligible costs valued at EUR 8,703,847.71.
The European Union Recovery and Resilience Facility has given the green light to the funding for the project titled “Digital transformation of port management by improving the processing and analysis of transport and logistics data,” aimed at digitizing Latvian ports and logistics corridors. Spearheaded by the Freeport of Riga Authority, the project involves collaboration with key partners such as the Ventspils Port Authority, Liepaja Special Economic Zone Authority, Ministry of Transport, and other stakeholders including VSIA “Latvijas Jūras administrācija”, SJSC “Latvijas Dzelzceļš”, SIA “LDz Cargo”, the SRS Customs Administration, and the State Border Guard. The €3.24 million project cost will be covered for implementation, and the ongoing maintenance and future development will be overseen by the ports.
Rail Cargo Group (RCG), the Austrian national rail freight company, has initiated the enhancement of its rail terminal in Wels, located approximately 30 kilometers southwest of Linz. The expansion project involves extending the four loading tracks from 580 to 700 meters, catering to the requirements of longer block trains. With a total investment of 68 million euros, jointly funded by RCG and the European Union, the upgraded terminal is slated for completion by 2027. In addition to the track extension, the endeavor includes creating an extra connection to the west, linking to Linz and Vienna through the marshalling yard in Wels, with assurances from the company that the project will not impact the timetable.
