EBRD, EU to allocate up to €45 mln for modernization of Aktau portThe European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), together with the European Union, will allocate up to €45 million for the modernization of the infrastructure of the seaport of Aktau, the bank's press service reported.The financial package includes an EBRD loan of up to €35 million and an EU investment grant of up to €10 million. The funds will be used for the reconstruction and extension of two berths, as well as for the purchase of weather-resistant shore container cranes."Our funds will help eliminate a bottleneck in the key infrastructure of the Trans-Caspian Corridor," EBRD President Odile Renaud-Basso, is quoted as saying in the statement.The project is expected to double Aktau port's container handling capacity and enable the operation of two specialized container berths. The processing time per container will be reduced from four minutes to two and a half minutes.The project is part of the investment program of the Aktau port, which is owned by the Samruk-Kazyna Sovereign Wealth Fund and managed by Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (Kazakhstan Railways). The program involves the creation of the largest container terminal in the Caspian region by the end of 2026, with an expected handling capacity of up to 240,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) per year.The port of Aktau, located on the coast of the Caspian Sea, is a key link in the Trans-Caspian transport corridor.The Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), also known as the Middle Corridor, connects China and Europe through Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey. (ICE ALMATY)

Fonte notizia: INTERFAX