ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, Dec. 13
By Huseyn Hasanov – Trend:
The Russia's Makhachkala Commercial Sea Port JSC plans to resume ferry service with Turkmenistan's Turkmenbashi port in 2020, Trend reports citing Russian media.
"Next year, together with our Turkmen colleagues, we want to resume train and automobile transportation via ferry services," Port Director General Murad Khidirov told Interfax.
"Now the Turkmen side has bought a ferry on the Black Sea, they are repairing it in Astrakhan, and we plan to launch this ferry next year to run between Makhachkala and Turkmenbashi," Khidirov said.
Due to the lack of ferries, this route has not been used at the port since 2011.
Modernized large-capacity vessels of the Turkmenistan Marine Merchant Fleet actively participate in freight transportation in the Caspian, serving international routes from the port of Turkmenbashi.
The Turkmenistan Marine Merchant Fleet CSJC was established in 2015. The company owns seven tankers carrying oil and oil products, four dry cargo vessels, two passenger ferries and two towing vessels.
The opening ceremony of the new port in Turkmenbashi city was held on May 2, 2018. The annual port capacity will reach 17-18 million tons. Together with the port operating earlier, this figure will reach 25-26 million tons.
The cost of the project implemented by Turkey’s Gap Inshaat company is worth more than $1.5 billion.
The international ferry and passenger port will be able to serve 300,000 passengers and 75,000 trailers per year. The container terminal has an average annual capacity of 400,000 TEU.