News
WB: ASCO needs more feeders and Ro-Pax; Alyat idle time under 12 hours
- project cargo
- Caspian
- Middle Corridor
- asco
- Alat
- TITR
Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping Company (ASCO) should accelerate fleet growth with feeder containerships and Ro-Pax vessels to clear bottlenecks on the Caspian leg of the Trans-Caspian route, Report.az reported on 28 September 2026, citing the World Bank study “Integration: High-Quality Trade Logistics along the Trans-Caspian Transport Route”.
WB analysts point to irregular sailings and a shortage of specialised shallow-draft containerships as the main causes of delay. The Bank proposes that ASCO align schedules with Kazakh and Turkmen operators and form a joint feeder pool — a step that, on the experts’ estimate, could cut vessel idle time awaiting handling at Alyat to under 12 hours.
For project and oversized cargo moving via Kuryk / Aktau — Caspian — Alyat / Baku, the sea link often sets the overall transit clock: ferry or feeder slot, draft and free deck space for a lowbed or module. A larger feeder fleet and coordinated sailings are a direct planning signal for equipment deliveries in 2026–2027.