Kazakhstan’s KMG and UAE’s ADP forming a working group for shipyard constructionNational Company KazMunayGas (KMG) from Kazakhstan and Abu Dhabi Ports Group (ADP), a seaport operator from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), are creating a working group to explore a possibility of building jointly a shipbuilding yard in Kazakhstan, said Yerbolat Mendybayev, the head of KMG transportation and logistics department.“We are setting up a joint working group [with ADP] and will look at the existing shipyards in Kazakhstan. Then we will decide on a development plan. At the beginning of 2024, the working group will be travelling to Aktau and visiting the existing shipyards that provide today only repair and maintenance services. After the assessment, we will have a clear picture of what needs to be done in order to build a shipbuilding facility but not just a ship repair yard,” Mendybayev said in an interview with KMG’s press service published on Friday.There are ship repair yards in Aktau, but there are no shipbuilding yards that can build a tanker, ferry or dry cargo ship, Mendybayev said.In early December 2023, KMG and ADP entered into an agreement on principles for the creation of a ship repair and shipbuilding enterprise in Kazakhstan, he added.Kazakh Minister of Transport Marat Karabayev said earlier that a few foreign companies were interested in a joint project for the construction of a shipbuilding yard in Kazakhstan, including Turkey’s YDA and Asfat, and the UAE’s Abu Dhabi Ports Group.According to the minister, at the first stage it will be required to build ten new merchant ships, including three tankers, three dry cargo ships and four universal ferries.National Company KazMunayGas JSC is the national operator for exploration, production, processing and transportation of hydrocarbons. The company represents the state interests in the oil and gas sector of Kazakhstan.AD Ports Group is a port, industrial and logistics operator in the UAE. The company is one of the region's largest holdings, with a portfolio of major businesses covering key sectors of Abu Dhabi's economy. AD Ports Group operates several clusters including ports, industrial cities and free zones, shipping, logistics and digital technologies. (ICE ALMATY)

Fonte notizia: INTERFAX