Azerbaijan, Baku, Dec.9 / Trend E. Ismayilov /
The second phase of the construction of the biggest port in the western Black Sea coast of Georgia will start in February next year, Black Sea Product Director Shalva Tsakadze told Trend over the phone. The port will be constructed in Supsa.
He said at present preparations are underway to start the second phase.
"The second phase of port construction will start in February. Works on construction of hydrotechnical and other structures will also begin," he said.
Tsakadze said earlier that the construction of the port, which will have a capacity of 40 million tons of cargo per year, will begin in 2014. The first vessels will go to harbor in late 2012.
The new port will be designed for the transshipment of oil-loading and liquefied gas freights. The port will also transship container and dry cargo. Less than half of the port's capacity will be designed for the transshipment of liquid freights, and the rest for container and dry cargo.
The port will be located in the center of the TRACECA transport corridor. The port's main advantage is the local water depth (18 meters), which will allow vessels to pass through the Bosporus.
Azerbaijani oil from the Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli fields is presently transported via the Baku-Supsa oil pipeline to Supsa. There, the oil is loaded onto tankers and sold to world markets.