Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan have signed two documents aimed at expanding freight transport across the Caspian Sea: a cooperation agreement for the new “Caspian Bridge” ferry system and a term sheet covering an intermodal cargo terminal at Baku port.
The agreements were reached during a meeting between delegations from Azerbaijan’s state-owned AZCON Holding and Kazakhstan’s Samruk-Kazyna sovereign wealth fund, Vesti Baku reported.
Ferries to Link Alat and Kuryk
The first agreement sets out the main areas of cooperation between AZCON and Samruk-Kazyna in preparing a next-generation Trans-Caspian ferry system.
The project calls for regular freight service between the ports of Alat in Azerbaijan and Kuryk in Kazakhstan using high-capacity ferries. The sides also plan to develop specialized terminals and integrate them into a single transport and logistics system.
The project is intended to shorten sea crossings and port operations while improving reliability and the competitiveness of the Middle Corridor.
Joint Venture Planned for Terminal
The second document is a term sheet between Azerbaijan Railways and Kazakhstan Temir Zholy. It establishes the basic terms for creating an intermodal cargo terminal at the Baku International Sea Trade Port and a joint venture to manage it.
The terminal is expected to combine port and rail operations and attract additional container and other freight traffic to the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route.
The documents do not yet specify the project’s cost, construction start date or commissioning schedule. The parties plan to refine the investment model and financing terms based on technical and economic indicators.
Baku Port Expands Capacity
Baku port’s current container-handling capacity is about 150,000 twenty-foot equivalent units, or TEUs, a year. It is expected to increase to 260,000 TEUs in the near term and to 500,000 TEUs after the second expansion phase. The port administration forecasts that container throughput could exceed 120,000 TEUs in 2026.
The Middle Corridor links China and Central Asia with the South Caucasus, Türkiye and European markets. The Caspian segment is a critical part of the route because its capacity depends on the fleet, ports and coordination of rail operations.
Source: Vesti Baku; AZCON Holding.