BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 1.
Kazakhstan expects the delivery of eight more container ships by
2028, Deputy Chairman of the Railway and Water Transport Committee
at the Ministry of Transport of Kazakhstan, Kasym Tlepov, said
during a World Bank Group online event titled "Middle Corridor:
Next Stage" today, Trend’s correspondent reports.


“Today, the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route is not
just a multimodal cross-border route, but it's the result and
indicator of our synchronized work,” he said.


According to Tlepov, the integration of the Middle Corridor
participants has already moved from statements to practical
interaction.


“We are working today together with our Azerbaijani colleagues,
realizing that we do not have enough ships in the Caspian Sea to
transport containers and ferry cargo. Through joint efforts,
firstly, we have increased the fleet that today is engaged in
regular container feeder transportation. If before this, at the
beginning of the year, only three ships were operating, today we
have increased it to 12 ships,” said the deputy chairman of the
committee.


He noted that the vessels operate on a regular basis, but the
ongoing decline in the level of the Caspian Sea requires updating
the fleet.


“Moreover, taking into account the fact that the Caspian Sea has
been shallowing for a long time, the level is falling, and with the
understanding that those ships that are in operation today, their
profitability is already practically declining, we came to the
conclusion that it is necessary to build other ships, of course,
with a shallower draft, but with a greater carrying capacity, wider
ones,” Tlepov explained.


According to him, if existing container ships can carry a
maximum of about 300 TEU, then new ships will have much greater
capacity.







"While current container ships can carry a maximum of 300 TEUs,
we have two vessels currently under construction at the Baku
Shipyard that will be able to carry up to 780," he said.


According to Tlepov, another two vessels are being built at the
Baku Shipyard, while four are under construction in China.


"In total, we expect to have eight additional vessels in
operation for container shipping by around 2028," he noted.


Tlepov also said that Kazakhstan is creating opportunities for
businesses to acquire vessels for maritime transport through a
financial leasing program.


"Furthermore, by implementing a financial leasing program, we
are enabling businesses to access low-cost financing and invest in
the acquisition of vessels for maritime transport," he added.