Port of Aktau: 1.3 million m³ of dredging for a 6–7 m basin depth

Main dredging works are continuing at the Port of Aktau to keep port infrastructure operating reliably and to make shipments along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (Middle Corridor) more efficient, Kazakhstan's Ministry of Transport reported.

The works respond to the continuing decline of the Caspian Sea level, which affects navigation conditions and the operating characteristics of the port basin. The project involves removing about 1.3 million cubic metres of soil, increasing the basin depth to 6–7 metres.

According to the ministry, port capacity will increase, Middle Corridor volumes could grow by up to 30%, and sea freight costs are expected to fall by roughly 10–15%. The contractor is working to an approved schedule, with dredging due to be completed by the end of the year.

For oversized and heavy shipments across the Caspian, basin depth directly affects vessel choice and how fully a sailing can be loaded, so progress at Aktau matters when planning China – Kazakhstan – Azerbaijan – Georgia – Türkiye routes.

Sources: Rail-news.kz / Ministry of Transport of Kazakhstan, 5 October 2026; Kursiv, 5 October 2026.