Kazakhstan Deepens Kuryk Port on Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor

However, falling water levels in the Caspian have forced vessels to operate below full capacity to avoid grounding

Kazakhstan has launched a strategic dredging project at the ERSAI industrial port, part of the Caspian Sea’s Kuryk Port, aimed at boosting its cargo-handling capacity and reinforcing its role as a key transit hub along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR). Also known as the Middle Corridor, the TITR connects China to Europe via Central Asia and the South Caucasus.

According to the Ministry of Transport, the project will deepen the port’s waters and approach channel to five meters, enabling year-round navigation.

The initiative is fully financed by ERSAI, which is constructing its own Cutter Suction Dredger (CSD 650), named ERSAI 5, to carry out the dredging works between January and June 2026.

Dredging is a core component of ERSAI’s broader expansion strategy, which also includes launching a new container terminal and expanding shipbuilding and repair operations.

Located on the eastern coast of the Caspian Sea, south of the Aktau port, Kuryk’s ferry complex handles a variety of cargo, including grain, oil products, fertilizers, and chemicals. However, falling water levels in the Caspian have forced vessels to operate below full capacity to avoid grounding.

As of early 2025, the Caspian Sea’s water level had declined by roughly two meters since 2006, posing growing challenges for Kazakhstan’s maritime logistics.

In response, Kazakhstan has prioritized dredging efforts. In May 2025, the Ministry of Transport began deepening the Aktau port by 1.5 to 2 meters to expand its terminal capacity.

Kuryk has already undergone a previous phase of deepening, completed in November 2024, which increased the port’s depth to 7-8 meters.

The latest dredging project reflects Kazakhstan’s broader strategy to strengthen its maritime infrastructure and maintain the competitiveness of its ports amid shifting environmental and logistical conditions in the Caspian region.

By The: The Times Of Central Asia.

Image: gov.kz.

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