Kazakhstan to invest in cargo transport on Irtysh River linking China and Russia

Astana, Kazakhstan (Ports Europe) October 24, 2024 – Kazakhstan’s Transport Ministry has a draft "road map" for the integrated development of cargo transport on the Irtysh River. Under pressure from the sanctioned by the West Russia, Kazakhstan is planning a multimodal transit corridor China-Kazakhstan-Russia, using the transboundary Irtysh River, which flows through the three countries. Irtysh River as a sanctions-busting route China-Russia The Irtysh (Ertis, Irtish) is the Ob River's main tributary and the longest tributary river in the world. The Irtysh basin has 1,719 km of navigable waterways extending from the Chinese border to Russia, including 1,117 km in eastern Kazakhstan’s Pavlodar region. On the Irtysh is Pavlodar port, some 100 km west of the Russian border. This port has two 650-meter-long wharves and a 120-meter-long passenger berth. It handles Kazakhstan’s metals and consumer products exports to China and receives livestock, cereals, and grains (wheat and rice). Sanctions strapped Russia pushing for development of logistics infrastructure with Kazakhstan The expected results of the "road map" implementation by 2028 include 2.5 million new transit cargo transportation per year; an increase in the capacity of port infrastructure from 1.5 million to 4 million tonnes; a two-fold increase in import transportation - up to 60,000 tonnes; an increase in passenger transportation from 450,000 to 700,000 people. New developments It is planned to build, modernise, and overhaul coastal berthing infrastructure, shipbuilding and ship repair facilities; build cargo berths and related transport links, loading, unloading and warehouse infrastructure; construct the Urlitobe river checkpoint (through private investment of about 19.2 million euro). In addition, it is planned to conduct research and development work to increase the guaranteed dimensions of the shipping channel in problematic areas with shallow depths within the city of Semey and, if necessary, to build a shipping hydraulic structure, which may require more than 24 million euro in investment. The construction of a river port in the village of Tugyl is also planned. The Transport Ministry also plans the construction and renovation of river passenger stations in the cities of Ust-Kamenogorsk and Semey; the organization of socially significant regular routes within the cities, suburban, intra-district, inter-district communications, as well as irregular transportation on excursion/cruise routes. The "road map" includes the construction or acquisition of two double-deck passenger cruise ships with 50 cabins with the help of private investment of about 27 million euro. Background In February, Kazakhstan’s Transport Minister Marat Karabaev proposed the China-Kazakhstan-Russia corridor, but underlined that the main priority should be resolving the issue with the river’s shallow depths. It is also planned to lay a 99 km railway to the border with China on the Tugyl – Maykapchagay section. The expected volume of transportation along the route is 2-2.5 million tonnes per year. The project also provides for access to Russia’s ports on the Barentz and Kara seas through the Ob and Irtysh rivers. Ural-Caspian Canal Another promising project according to Karabaev, is the restoration of export traffic through the Ural-Caspian Canal. In January, Kazakhstan announced plans to start dredging of the Ural River-Caspian Sea Canal in 2024 and include the waterway in the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR, Middle Corridor). “We plan to begin dredging work on the offshore part of the canal, and subsequently purchase our own offshore dredger to maintain its navigable parameters,” Karabaev said. “In the next two years, we plan to restore the shipping parameters of the Ural-Caspian Canal. The cargo potential via this route is 1 million tonnes per year. There is also a possibility to resume river transportation of goods between Atyrau (Kazakhstan) and Astrakhan (Russia)”. Kazakhstan plans dredging of Ural-Caspian Canal The Middle Corridor’s importance for international cargo transportation has increased after Russia invaded Ukraine and the subsequent Western sanctions against Moscow, Karabaev said. The implementation of the dredging project will expand the export capabilities of key local companies like Kazakhstan Petrochemical Industries (KPI) and TengizChevrOil (TCO) which produces oil, gas and associated products. Atyrau Kazakhstan’s port of Atyrau on the Ural River (Jaiyq in the Kazakh language) near its Caspian Sea delta is idle for four years now due to the extremely low water level of the river (only 20-30 cm) and the shallowing of the Caspian Sea. This small port last handled 15,000 tonnes of cargo in 2020 and then was shut down. It could act as a full-fledged logistics hub in the region. Heavy dredging is needed to allow even small barges to dock the port and to be able to enter the Caspian Sea. In 2010, Atyrau port was able to receive large cargo from Ukraine, Azerbaijan, China, Turkey and Iran. “This waterway is very efficient for logistics,” Azamat Zulkarnaev, director of the (idle) Atyrau River port said. “One barge alone can hold thousands of tonnes of cargo. It is more profitable, faster and safer to transport such quantities through the port. But unfortunately, the water level does not allow for activities”. A project to deepen the mouth of the Ural River (the ambitious target is a draft of 3 m) has already been developed. It will require 16 billion tenge (32 million euro). But there are no yet specific plans and timetable for the work. The port Atyrau river port is on the Ural. It used to have a capacity of 600,000 tonnes of cargo (bulk, sand, gravel, seafood) per year. The port was navigable from April to November. It was able to accommodate ships with a maximum draught of 2.4 m. The port’s main pear is 111 m long. It also has a 3800 m2 berth for handling concrete and other breakbulk. Atyrau port offers a heated storage facility of 11,160 m², equipped with a bridge crane with a carrying capacity of 5 tonnes and an open yard of 32,000 m². The government was also planning to build a steel plant in the port. Kazakhstan’s shipyard on the Caspian Sea “As part of the development of Kazakhstan’s merchant fleet, we are studying the possibility of building our own shipyard on the Caspian coast,” Karabaev said. “We need 10 new ships, including 3 tankers, 3 dry cargo ships and 4 universal ferries”. River logistics hubs are the new transport mantra in sanctions-hit Russia Western sanctions have exposed the deficiencies of Russia’s railway and road networks. Trying to redirect its cargo flow from the west to the south, north and east of the country, Moscow is forced to rely more on inland waterways. This is why it will create by 2027 six new river logistics hubs. Sanctions force Russia to create six river logistics hubs RosMorRechFlot announced a project to create six new river hubs/multimodal logistics centers in Omsk (Irtysh River), Samara, Saratov and Sviyazhsk (all three at Volga River), Dzhalinda (Amur River at the border with China), and Blagoveshchensk (at the confluence of Zeya and Amur rivers, at the border with China). More PortSEurope news about Kazakhstan Copyright (C) Ports Europe. All Rights Reserved. 2024.

Kazakhstan to invest in cargo transport on Irtysh River linking China and Russia

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Kazakhstan to invest in cargo transport on Irtysh River linking China and Russia

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