At the Kazakhstan Transport and Logistics Forum, which was held on March 5-6 in Astana, Alibek Utegenov, Executive Director for Marketing and Logistics of the Kuryk Port, presented the development strategy of the Kuryk port in the system of international corridors.
METRANS commenced its services connecting to Ukraine back in 2022, facilitating the transportation of various cargoes between the Slovak/Ukrainian border. Recently, during the European Eastern holidays, a significant milestone was achieved as METRANS and Ukrzeleznitsa collaborated to initiate the first train at the Medyka border between Poland and Ukraine.
At the Kazakhstan Transport and Logistics Forum: Transit Potential and Infrastructure, Kairat Kalliola presented a detailed description and development strategy for the port of Aktau, a key element of the Trans-Caspian Multimodal Transport Route (TMTM). Speaking about the current situation, there was a decrease in the volume of cargo along the TMTM route last year, caused by a reorientation to the southern direction due to a decrease in freight costs and the end of subsidies for shippers. However, on November 25, 2022, road maps were signed between Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey, providing for an increase in the corridor’s throughput capacity to 10 million tons per year by 2027.
An important meeting was held in Seoul on the optimization of railway transportation and the development of transit routes from China. The event was organized by the largest Chinese companies China Railway Container Transport Co., Ltd (CRCT) and Lianyungang Port Group (LPG). Deputy General Director for Logistics of KTZ Express JSC Aibek Kapar presented the participants with the current opportunities for cargo transit through Kazakhstan, with an emphasis on the conditions of transportation along the West-East Transport Corridor. As a result of the meeting, the parties reached an agreement to launch transit transportation of spare automotive parts from Korea to Central Asian countries. KTZ Express JSC, together with CRCT, as well as the automobile concerns Hyundai and General Motors, is already preparing to begin deliveries in the near future.
Kazakhstan offers Armenia to use the transport corridor through Iran to deliver goods to Central Asia and China. According to the director of the Astana Diplomatic Club, Kaiyrbolat Sakhmetov, Armenian carriers are recommended to more actively use the Iran-Turkmenistan-Kazakhstan route. Goods from Armenia can be transported through Iran to a land port on the border with Turkmenistan, from where trains will depart in the direction of Kazakhstan, Central Asian countries and China.
Ukraine and Montenegro have agreed to introduce a “visa-free transport visa” for freight transport, which will come into force on June 1, 2024. The Ministry of Development of Communities, Territories and Infrastructure of Ukraine has reached an agreement with the Ministry of Transport and Maritime Affairs of Montenegro on the liberalization of all types of cargo transportation between countries.
In March 2024, Batumi Oil Terminal LLC resumed loading dark oil products produced at Kazakh plants onto Aframax tankers for shipment to Europe. It is planned to carry out loadings on a regular basis, which is associated with the expansion of transit routes for cargo transportation.
On March 27, 2024, CRCT Kazakhstan and CRRC went to Altynkol for the first transfer of the Open Top container. Experts inspected the container, ensuring the process was flawless, and staff ensured its safety during transport. Upon arrival, the container was carefully inspected, confirming the successful completion of the project.
DACHSER is fortifying its European food transport and storage network with the acquisition of Brummer, its partner in the European Food Network for temperature-controlled food transport. The acquisition includes Brummer Logistik GmbH in Germany and Brummer Logistic Solutions GmbH & Co KG in Austria, encompassing the entire operational business of the Brummer Group. The deal’s specifics, including the purchase price, remain undisclosed pending approval from German and Austrian competition authorities.
At the end of March 2024, Baltic Hub achieved more than 45% progress in the construction of the T3 container terminal. Favorable weather helped speed up work, allowing construction of the concrete northern embankment to be completed two weeks earlier. Progress can also be seen in other areas such as the main pier (more than 25%) and the element parallel to the pier, the so-called shore beam (15%), which are critical to the entire structure. The planned completion of waste consolidation at the end of April will free up work at four more storage sites. Industrial works such as storm water drainage and electrical wiring installation have also started.
