Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 10
By Anvar Mammadov – Trend:
The volume of freight traffic through the Baku International Sea Trade Port (Port of Baku) increased by 47 percent in 2016, as compared to 2015, said the message of the port.
During the mentioned period, the volume of freight traffic was 4.5 million tons. About 87 percent of the total volume accounted for transit cargo transportation.
“The highest growth was observed in transshipment of wheeled vehicles, particularly, large-capacity vehicles,” said the message. “More than half of these trucks (59.3 percent or 13,791 vehicles) were transported on the Baku-Aktau-Baku route and the remaining part of the large-capacity vehicles (41.7 percent or 9,850 trucks) – on the Baku-Turkmenbashi-Baku route.”
The number of transported standard twenty-foot equivalent container units has also increased. This number increased by 28.5 percent and amounted to 17,100 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent unit) during the period, as compared to 2015. Moreover, the volume of transshipped oil and oil products increased by 87.5 percent during the year and amounted to about 1.58 million tons.
“Meanwhile, the transshipment of railroad cars via the new ferry terminal, located in the Alat settlement, increased by 17.4 percent. Total number of cars reached 36,896 and 30.1 percent (11,109 cars) were transported on the Baku-Aktau-Baku route, while 69.9 percent (25,787 cars) – on the Baku-Turkmenbashi-Baku route,” according to the message. “The volume of passenger transportation on these two routes increased by almost twofold and was over 20,000 people.”
The message also said that the volume of cargo transshipment via the main cargo terminal in Baku increased by 8.2 percent during the period and stood at 418,100 tons, as compared to 2015. A major part of the transshipment accounted for transit containers and import of construction materials.
After the completion of the first stage (until late 2017), the Baku International Sea Trade Port will be able to receive up to 10-11 million tons of cargo per year, as well as to handle goods up to 50,000 TEUs.
At the second stage, the port’s cargo transshipment capacity will reach 17 million tons and 150,000 TEUs and after the completion of the third stage – 25 million tons of cargo and one million TEUs.