BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 8. The development of a master plan for the construction of the second phase of the Baku International Sea Trade Port (Port of Baku) is being completed, the Head of Strategic Planning and Development Department of the Port of Baku, Khudayar Hasanli, said, Trend reports.
He made the comment at a round table discussion on "Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan: New Horizons of Cooperation."
According to him, this year will also see the opening of a mineral fertilizer facility capable of handling up to 2.5 million tons of these cargoes.
"With the opening of this terminal, we will be able to attract even more mineral fertilizers from Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan and transport them to Europe via a shorter route." Furthermore, our port handles large industrial commodities in containers," he stressed.
In conclusion, Hasanli called on the Uzbek side to collaborate with the Baku port.
"We intend to expand the capabilities of our port. Upon the completion of the second phase, the handling capacity will reach 25 million tons, with container handling reaching 500,000 TEUs," he added.
From 2018 to the second quarter of 2023, 18,000 TEU containers, 22,000 wagons, and more than 23,000 wheeled vehicles were transported in both directions between the Port of Baku and Uzbekistan.
The master plan for the second phase of the Port of Baku is being prepared by the Dutch Royal Haskoning DHV company.
The Port of Baku is currently a major node on the Transport route Europe-Caucasus-Asia (TRACECA) route, which connects Europe with Central Asia and China via the Caucasus and the Caspian Sea. Its location will also have a considerable impact on north-south trade, enabling for speedy and dependable cargo connections between Russia's northwestern and Persian Gulf states and the Indian Ocean. As a result, it is critical that the new port be able to expand as the area develops. Simultaneously, the EU intends to finance the establishment of a modern International Logistics Center near the new port.
The new port's major focus will be a rail ferry terminal connecting Aktau, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenbashi, Turkmenistan, to Baku. They are hardly commonly used, as there are only about 30 rail ferry systems in the globe. A general cargo terminal, cargo handling facilities, Ro/Ro facilities, and a passenger terminal will also be available at the new port. Further developments at the new port include the construction of huge cargo terminal facilities.