Kazakhstan is set to deepen the port of Aktau

To implement the port deepening project, the country’s authorities plan to amend the 2025 state budget / Photo: Shutterstock, photo editor: Milosh Muratovskiy

The dredging work at the port of Aktau will cost the state budget $84.5 million, Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Olzhas Bektenov revealed in response to an MP inquiry.

The prime minister also clarified that the international seaport of Aktau had already prepared design estimate documentation, which was approved by state experts in December last year.

According to expert conclusions, the total project cost is $84.5 million. However, in the first stage this year, the government will allocate only $41.3 million.

«Given the high importance of the dredging work in the area of the port of Aktau this year, its financing is expected to be considered during the process of adjusting the 2025 state budget,» Bektenov said.

The port of Aktau plans to deepen the seabed to ensure tankers and other large vessels can dock for shipments. The problem has worsened recently as the Caspian Sea’s water level continues to decline. As a result, port authorities have been forced to underload ships to allow them to leave safely. Once all three stages of the dredging project are completed, the seabed near the port will be more than 1.5 meters deeper.

The port of Aktau is part of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, which connects China to Europe via Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan, bypassing Russia.