The newly expanded Aktau port terminal on the Caspian Sea has officially opened to container traffic, marking a major infrastructure milestone for the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route. The upgraded terminal enables faster vessel turnaround times and significantly higher throughput capacity, reinforcing Kazakhstan's strategic ambition to position Aktau as a central logistics node on the Middle Corridor.
Aktau sits at the eastern edge of the Caspian Sea — the point where cargo from China and Central Asia is loaded onto Caspian ferries for the crossing to Baku, Azerbaijan. From there it continues overland via the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway and through Georgia to Black Sea ports and European markets. The efficiency of the Aktau crossing is therefore critical to the entire corridor's competitiveness.
Key terminal upgrade highlights:
- New container handling cranes with increased lift capacity and speed
- Expanded quayside storage area for TEU-sized containers
- Dedicated RoRo lanes for railway wagon ferry operations
- Digital pre-arrival notification system reducing customs dwell time
- Capacity to handle vessels up to 12,000 DWT
For AJS Logistic, the Aktau upgrade directly strengthens our multimodal offering. Our AJS On Site presence at Aktau means we can provide clients with direct coordination at the terminal — ensuring smooth cargo handoff from rail or road to Caspian ferry, and proactive management of any scheduling changes on the Baku-bound routes.
Combined with our Port of Poti operations on the western Caspian transit, AJS Logistic now has direct presence at both ends of the Caspian crossing — providing seamless end-to-end visibility for clients shipping through the Middle Corridor.