SEZ Lotos expects port Olya to handle 20 million tonnes of cargo transported by Trans-Caspian route in 3-4 years
Phase 1 of the port zone and launching of the container terminal is scheduled for 2024
Olya port zone counts on a package of factors: implementation of two phases of the project on container terminal construction within 3-4 years, construction of a series of container ships by Lotos shipyard, approval of a cargo base in India and establishment of a joint automobile company in Iran,IAA PortNews correspondent cites Sergey Milushkin, General Director of SEZ Lotos.
According to him, the port zone is under construction in Olya seaport. The first phase which foresees the construction of berths No 8 and No9 is to be completed in 2024. “This will be the first professional container terminal in the Caspian,” he says, adding that container transportation is possible today in the ports of Astrakhan, “which, together with port Olya are ready to accept about 14 million tonnes.”
The second phase of the port zone includes the construction of a bay able to accommodate up to 20 ships. “With the completion of the second phase in 3-4 years, cargo throughput can reach about 20 million tonnes,” said the head of Lotos SEZ. According to him, those volumes will be shipped by a series of container ships under construction at the Astrakhan based shipyard Lotos.
The second aspect of the project is the cargo base of Iran, India and the APR countries. “Our port is not very interesting without this base. Therefore, we have already signed agreements with Turkmenistan and Iran. In particular, our partner has signed agreements with the largest funds in Iran. These agreements already make it possible to collect goods, and a car park will be formed in the summer. As soon as we realize that our cargo base exceeds 500 containers per month, we can deploy ships for operation in the Caspian Sea and in the Indian Ocean. For that purpose, we interact with the ports of Anzeli and Chabahar,” he explains.
A joint automobile company is being established for transportation across Iran. “The partner already guarantees about 100 trucks. Further, it is planned to increase the fleet to 1-2 thousand units. An agreement is being signed with the Iranian side, which will allow for transportation of some 10 million tonnes from the southern to the northern ports of Iran without any problems,” he says, noting that the role of the railway in Iran logistics is exaggerated. For example, out of 100 million tonnes handled annually in the port of Bandar Abbas, only 7 million tonnes ar transported by rail with the rest transported by road. “A liter of gasoline costs about RUB 5-10 in Iran. Given the investments in railway infrastructure, the tariffs for these types of transportations are incomparable,” he says.