Falling Caspian Sea Levels Limit Kazakhstan's Maritime Shipping Capacity - AzerTac

The Aqtau–Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan corridor is facing operational challenges due to a prolonged drop in the Caspian Sea level, Orda.kz reports, citing AzerTac.

According to port authorities, sea levels at Aqtau have fallen by 1.7 meters over the past 18 years and continue to decline.

This environmental shift is affecting port infrastructure, shipping routes, hydraulic structures, and overall navigation safety.

Currently, dry cargo vessels are underloaded by 600–1,300 tons, while oil tankers carry 2,000–2,500 tons less than capacity.

Reduced vessel loading affects the profitability of maritime transport and poses the risk of redirecting cargo flows to alternative routes,
 said Anuar Nemyshov, head of commercial operations at the Aqtau Commercial Sea Port.

He added that dredging work is necessary to restore full ship loading capacity.

Original Author: Raushan Korzhumbekova