The largest port in the Caspian Sea has been put into operation in Turkmenistan.

gulfs. Taken as a whole, the Caspian Sea has 10 large bays: Komsomolets, Mangyshlak, Kazakh, Kara-Bogaz-Gol, Turkmenbashi (former Krasnovodsk), Turkmen, Gyzylagach, Astrakhan and Gyzlar. There are 2 gulfs on the Iranian coast of the Caspian Sea: Hirkan (former Astarabad) and Anzeli (former Pahlavi).

The giant bay of the Caspian Sea - Kara-Bogaz-Gol, is of particular importance. Depending on the sea level, the area of ​​the bay changes periodically. At present, its area is about 25 thousand km2. The bay is connected to the sea through a strait 8-10.5 km long and between 11-130 m wide. The level of the Kara-Bogaz-Gol bay is always lower than the level of the Caspian Sea. The difference between the levels varies, depends on the sea level and is in the range of 2-6 meters. Through the strait, the bay is constantly filled with water and its entire volume evaporates. Approximately 8-10 km3 of water flows from the Caspian into the bay every year - i.e. 200-300 m / s (according to the latest data, this figure is even higher). Through this water, 150 thousand tons of salt are transferred from the sea to the bay per year. In 1989-1984 The bay was cut off from the sea by an artificial dam, as a result it dried up and a giant salt valley formed on its territory of 18 thousand km2. Every year, 1500 mm of water evaporates from the surface of Kara-Bogaz-Gol, the amount of precipitation here does not exceed 70 mm / year. For this reason, the waters of the bay are similar to solutions saturated with salt. Their salinity is 300 ‰. The bay is the only basin in the world with marine-type salt deposits. The Kara-Bogaz-Gol Bay is rich in mirabilite, halite, astrakhanite and other mineral salts. At present, sodium sulfate, bischofite, epsomite, glaubor salt, medical and sea salt, medicinal magnesium chloride are produced in the bay.

Rivers. 130 rivers flow into the Caspian Sea. Only in 9 of them the mouth has the character of a delta. The Volga is the largest river flowing into the Caspian, its long-term average flow is 215-224 km3, its length is 3531 km. Another river flowing into the Caspian from the territory of Russia is the Terek (average annual flow is 8.15 -11.4 km3).

The largest Caspian rivers on the territory of Azerbaijan are as follows: Kura (average annual flow - 16 km2), Gudyalchay, Vyalvyalachay, Sumgaitchay, Lankaranchay and Astarachay. The Samur River on the border between Azerbaijan and Russia (2.73).

There is practically no hydrographic network on the eastern shores of the Caspian Sea. The rivers Ural (average annual flow - 8.1 km3) and Emba flow through the territory of Kazakhstan. In 1920, the Emba River had a wide delta, with several channels flowing into the sea. The change in sea level in 1930 ended with the fact that the Emba did not reach the Caspian. At present, this river flows into the Caspian only during high water periods.

The only river in Turkmenistan with a constant flow is the Atrek. Its water intake area is 26.7 km2, length - 635 km, average annual flow - 240 million m3). Often the river in the lower runoff dries up, and only in spring its waters reach the Caspian Sea.

The Caspian Basin accounts for 12% of Iran's total water intake basin and accounts for only 5% of all river flows. Relatively large rivers are as follows: Shafidrud (Ag tea, length - 720 km), Kharaz, Polerud, Babol, Chalush, Khirgan, Tejan, Talar. The Araz River, 1040 km long, at a distance of 300 km plays the role of the border between Iran and Azerbaijan, changes its course in the northernmost part of Iran, from the border line and connects with Kura.

Ports. The main ports of the Caspian Sea: Baku (the largest), Turkmenbashi, Astrakhan, Makhachkala, Aktau, Atyrau, Bandar-Anzeli, Nowshehr.

06.07.2018 10:58:38

The Makhachkala International Seaport has again come under the spotlight after the country's government launched a program to develop seaports in the Caspian Sea basin. What are the pros and cons of the capital of Dagestan in case of successful implementation of the project?

PAINTED ON PAPER

In November 2017, the Prime Minister of Russia Dmitry Medvedev signed a decree approving a strategy for the development of Russian seaports in the Caspian Basin, as well as rail and road approaches to them until 2030.

The explanatory note notes that the main goals of the strategy are to strengthen the economic and geopolitical presence of Russia in the Caspian Sea, expand economic and cultural ties with the basin countries, as well as create conditions for the development of the country's Caspian regions by increasing international trade flows.

« The implementation of the strategy and the fulfillment of its indicators will make it possible by 2030 to ensure the volume of grain exports through the ports of the Caspian basin up to 7 million tons, the volume of cargo traffic for other dry cargo - up to 7 million tons; attract Russian tourist flow to the Caspian region up to 30 thousand people a year, create more than 2 thousand new jobs", the document says.

The strategy involves the construction of marine passenger terminals in Makhachkala and Derbent "with the priority use of industrial products manufactured in the territory of the Russian Federation."

It is assumed that the strategy will be implemented in several directions. The main role is assigned to the creation of a reliable transport and logistics corridor with Iran, India and the countries of the Persian Gulf.

Prime Minister of Dagestan Artem Zdunov understands that the implementation of projects related to the seaport is a good chance to attract investments to the region. On April 5, 2018, he arrived at the Makhachkala Commercial Sea Port to deal with its potential on the spot.

According to Zdunov, a meeting of the State Council for the Development of the Port and Logistics Infrastructure of the Caspian Regions is to be held soon. It is at this meeting that the issues of reconstruction and modernization of the Makhachkala commercial port will be considered.

The head of the working group for the preparation of the meeting of the State Council is the governor of the Astrakhan region Alexander Zhilkin. Now the group is forming proposals for inclusion in the draft list of instructions of the President of Russia.

At the last meeting of the working group, which took place on March 30, 2018, Zhilkin proposed removing barriers to the movement of goods between Russia and Iran along the North-South transport corridor, as well as allowing the import of wheat to Iran and the export of cement from Iran.

According to the ex-Minister for the North Caucasus Lev Kuznetsov, the North-South corridor should connect Northern Europe with India and seriously compete with the Suez Canal. As Kuznetsov clarified, Russian ports in the Caspian are very poorly loaded - their throughput is only 25 million tons per year.

ON THE SEA, ON THE WAVES

In the near future, another large maritime infrastructure will be built on the Dagestan section of the Caspian coast. This is due to the relocation of the Caspian Flotilla to Kaspiysk. The first stage of construction of basing sites for the ships of the Caspian Flotilla will be completed in 2019.

The fate of another ambitious project is still unclear. As MI wrote (“Under a pair of sails” in No. 38 of 09/22/2017), in 2016, the leadership of Dagestan, together with the Ministry of the Caucasus of the Russian Federation, began lobbying for the project of a new deep-sea port in the Caspian Sea near Kaspiysk.

« Suitable sites with sufficient depth have already been found. According to our calculations, 15-20 billion rubles of federal funds will need to be invested in the infrastructure of the new port", - said the First Deputy Minister for the North Caucasus Odes Baisultanov.

As previously told "MI" expert Andrey Melamedov, there is no final clarity on the fate of this project, since it is necessary to coordinate many instances.

« There is information about plans to expand the Caspian Flotilla, to which it is planned to transfer a significant part of the water area of ​​the Makhachkala seaport, and in return the Ministry of Defense is ready to help find funds to finance the project to expand the existing port to the north. But even here the final decision has not yet been made.", - says Melamedov.

Recently, the issue of opening a ferry service between Makhachkala and the Kazakh port of Aktau has begun to be discussed again. The ferry service between Kazakhstan and Dagestan was already launched in 1999, but due to the lack of the necessary flow of goods, it had to be closed.

THE OCEAN IS NOT A HINDER

Perhaps it is too early to talk about the competition of the Makhachkala seaport in the direction of grain transshipment and container transportation. Although there are some prospects, given that the largest Black Sea port of Novorossiysk began to experience problems after the arrest of the brothers Magomedov. The court seized the assets of the United Grain Company, a grain terminal in Novorossiysk, through which the main grain exports took place.

As MI was told in the Makhachkala seaport, in the first quarter of 2018, about 137,000 tons of grain were shipped to Iran, which is almost 5 times higher than last year. According to the CEO Murada Khidirova, this year, in addition to oil and grain, the port resumed transshipment of cement, ceramic tiles, scrap metal and lumber.

According to the representative of the Republic of Dagestan at the Russian trade mission in Iran Emin Aliyev, cargo containers from the countries of the Asia-Pacific region can be delivered to Europe through Iranian ports and Makhachkala.

« The representative office of Dagestan at the trade mission of the Russian Federation in Iran and the Makhachkala commercial port are working on a very large program for the implementation of container cargo transportation from Japan, China, South Korea, India, Indonesia. Their route will not lie across the Indian Ocean and the Suez Canal, but through the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas in the Persian Gulf to Amirabad, from Amirabad to Makhachkala and from Makhachkala to St. Petersburg and Novorossiysk for further deliveries to Europe. At the same time, the delivery of each container along this route will be carried out 12-14 days faster than across the Indian Ocean, and cost shippers 2-3 thousand dollars cheaper.”, Emin Aliyev told reporters, adding that more than a thousand containers weighing up to 20 tons each can be transported through Amirabad to Makhachkala per month.

SPECIAL OPINION

MI was asked to comment on the situation with the implementation of the strategy for the development of the Caspian ports of a senior researcher at the Institute of Market Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences Mikhail Chernyshov.

– What, in your opinion, will the Makhachkala International Sea Port play in this strategy? Which points can become breakthrough, and which are “phantom”?

- Unfortunately, the development strategy of Russian seaports in the Caspian Basin relies to a greater extent on the overestimated expectations from the North-South transport corridor that have existed for almost two decades. In 2001, it was assumed that the increase in world trade would lead to a significant load on the Suez Canal and an increase in the cost of freight due to a shortage of sea transport vessels. Because of these expectations, it was considered that the North-South corridor - a combined railway-sea route from Northern Europe through Russia to Iran and further to India, would provide a 15-20% gain in transportation costs and 15-20 days for delivery. Under these expectations, tankers and container ships were actively built, agreements were signed, and money was invested in the modernization of ports. But the global economic crisis and recession of 2008-2012 broke the forecasts. It turned out that there is no shortage of maritime transport capacities and there won't be any in the next decade. It was not possible to launch the North-South corridor - there is simply not enough cargo traffic, since the minimum profitability threshold is 30 million tons, and the current volume is 5-6 times less. Currently, sending goods along the North-South corridor is more expensive and takes longer than shipping by sea with the destinations Novorossiysk or St. Petersburg. The reason is the lack of a continuous railway line, the presence of ferry and other passes. It was planned to build the Qazvin-Bender-Abbas railway line in Iran, but these plans remained on paper. The presence of several cargo transshipment points and the high cost of loading operations make transit along the North-South corridor economically unprofitable. Customs and other obstacles also interfere.

- The arrival of Vladimir Vasiliev in Dagestan coincided with the approval of the strategy for the development of Russian seaports in the Caspian basin. Is it a coincidence or not? There were suggestions that Vasiliev was sent to Dagestan, including for a breakthrough in the "sea" direction and strengthening the positions of the Makhachkala seaport in the North-South transport corridor. In addition, the relocation of the Caspian military flotilla to Dagestan began ...

– I think that the change of power in Dagestan in 2017 has nothing to do with transport corridors. The value of revenues from the North-South corridor, under ideal conditions, could bring 100-150 million dollars to all participants in transportation in all countries and regions. Under the most optimistic scenario, revenues to the Dagestan budget may amount to about 300 million rubles, that is, 0.3% of the republic's budget expenditures. This is ideal. In reality, the figure will be even lower. It is not worth it. Only amateurs can talk about a breakthrough in the transport sector, I would like to look at their calculations. The goals of the strategy for the development of Russian seaports in the Caspian Basin set such a low level of tasks - by 2030, grain exports will be up to 7 million tons, volumes of other dry cargo - up to 7 million tons, tourist flow - up to 30 thousand people a year, more than 2 thousand new jobs, that their implementation fits into the category of statistical error. But their achievement will neither fill the budget nor feed the people.

As for the relocation of the Caspian military flotilla to the city of Kaspiysk, this is a matter of politics, not economics. Of course, the military base will bring some money to Dagestan, but it will not significantly change the situation with the economy across the republic. When the budget spends 70 billion rubles a year more than it collects, several hundred million rubles of possible gains do not make any difference.

Timur ALIEV

Overview of the port infrastructure of the Caspian Sea and the port of Olya

Balaev Sergey Yurievich
Member of the Marketing Guild
expert consultant in marketing and economic analysis

([email protected])

1. 
   Foreign policy and economic state of Russian port logisticsEconomy and politics of the Caspian Sea
2. 
   
3. 
   Iranian-Russian trade flows and their operators
4. 
   
5. 
   
6. 
   Caspian region
7. 
   
8. 
   Russian port "Astrakhan"
9. 
   Russian port "Olya" in the Arkhangelsk region
10. 
    Russian port "Makhachkala" in Dagestan
11. 
    Port "Baku" in the capital of Azerbaijan
12. 
    Port "Atyrau" in Kazakhstan
13. 
    Aktau port in Kazakhstan
14. 
    Port "Turkmenbashi" (formerly Krasnovodsk) in Turkmenistan
15. 
    Iranian port "Anzali" (Anzali)
16. 
    Iranian port "Amirabad"
17. 
    The history of the development of the port of Olya
18. 
    Economic indicators of the port of Olya
19. 
    Olya port development project
20. 
    Olya port logistics
21. 
    The main directions of development of the port "Olya"
22. 
    Advantages and disadvantages of the Olya port

Foreign policy and economic state of Russian port logistics
Territory of Russia, due to its geographical location, is a kind of bridge for cargo flows between the main macroeconomic poles - the countries of the European Economic Union (EEC) and the Asia-Pacific Region (APR), and in the longer term - between the countries of America and Eurasia.

New markets in the Gulf and Indian Ocean regions are of great importance for Europe and Asia.

Between Europe and Asia runs annually about 6 million containers, however, most of this flow is transported by foreign navy through foreign ports, bypassing the territory of Russia. According to experts, realization of the transit potential of Russia on the route of the EEC and the Asia-Pacific region is equivalent to doubling the national th income (Diagram 1).

Diagram 1 Freight turnover of the Russian Federation in 2002-2003 by means of transport (billion t-km)

The collapse of the USSR had a significant impact on the geopolitical position of Russia and on the possibility of developing foreign economic activity. There were 9 shipping companies in Russia. Only 40% of the ports and 50% of the port capacities of the former Soviet Union remain within Russia. Outside of Russia were the most important container, oil, grain, ferry and other specialized terminals (Ilyichevsk, Odessa, Tallinn, Ventspils, Nikolaev, etc.).

70% of the former coastline on the Black Sea became foreign for Russia. Of the dozens of the most important southern ports on the Black Sea, only two remained within the Russian Federation - Novorossiysk and Tuapse.

Of the 8 Baltic ports of the USSR, only 3 remained in Russia (St. Petersburg, Vyborg, Kaliningrad). Currently, there are 62 sea and river ports in Russia.

Currently, Russia has 39 ports and 22 port points. The length of the berths is 60.5 thousand km. Major ports - St. Petersburg, Murmansk, Arkhangelsk, Astrakhan, Novorossiysk, Tuapse, Nakhodka, Vladivostok, Vanino, etc.

Due to insufficient depths, 60% of Russian ports are unable to receive large-capacity vessels. The production capacities of the ports allow to meet only 54% of the needs of cargo handling, the rest of the export-import cargo is processed in the Baltic States, Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan

Now there are 216 transshipment complexes for dry cargo ships and 26 tankers in Russia, but after the collapse of the USSR, the country was left without complexes for transshipment of potassium salts, oil cargo and liquefied gas, without railway crossings to Germany and Bulgaria. Only one portside elevator for receiving imported grain and one specialized complex for receiving imported raw sugar remained.

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fig.2 The main projects that form the backbone transport network of Russia in the first quarter of the 21st century (railway, road and water transport; based on the results of model calculations of the Institute of Economics and Trade of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences)

The seaports remaining in Russia in the western part of the country do not have a sufficient reserve of throughput capacity, and the possibilities for their expansion are limited (Novorossiysk, Tuapse, St. Petersburg, Vyborg, etc.).

The accessibility of the ports of the Kaliningrad region has become more difficult. The railway to the ports of the Kaliningrad region crosses the territory of Lithuania. Transit conditions are so difficult that Russia was forced to decide on the urgent construction of railways and roads to the coast of the Baltic Sea through Belarus and Poland, bypassing Lithuania.

In the Black Sea basin, Turkey imposes a restriction on Russian shipping in the Bosphorus, summarizing the deterioration of the environmental situation (Figure 5).

A similar situation occurs in the Baltic region, where Denmark and the Netherlands restrict the Russian maritime trade presence in the Skagerrak Strait (North Sea) (Figure 5).

Norway, not without the support of the United States, is actively striving to oust Russia on its Arctic shelf.

In terms of tonnage, the Russian merchant fleet ranks 7th in the world (16.5 million deadweight tons), but most of the ships are so physically worn out that they do not allow many of them to enter foreign ports. Of the 5,000-6,000 vessels, 46% are fishing and fish transport. 1100 vessels are intended for the transportation of general cargo, 245 vessels are oil tankers. The fleet lacks modern types of vessels such as lighter carriers, container carriers, combination carriers, sea ferries, Ro-Ro (i.e. ro-ro) vessels. The specifics of Russia's foreign trade and transportation by sea predetermined the predominance of bulk and volumetric cargo, primarily oil. The share of ore, building materials, coal, timber and grain cargoes is also significant.

Nevertheless, according to the data of the State Statistics Committee of Russia, the GDP growth of the Russian Federation amounted to 7%, investment in fixed assets - 12%, retail trade - 8%, and household income - 15%. Accordingly, the demand for transportation of passengers and goods has increased. Freight turnover of all types of transport (including rail and pipeline) increased by 7%, passenger turnover - by almost 8%.

In connection with the current political situation, the Government of Russia has developed a Transport Development Strategy of the Russian Federation until 2010, which also includes a strategy for the development of port logistics and port facilities in Russia (Diagram 3).

Diagram 3 Costs for the implementation of the federal target program "Modernization of the transport system of Russia (2002-2010)" (billion rubles in 2004 prices).

Planned rates of general growth of cargo flows and growth of maritime cargo flows in Russia in 2005-2010. make up 40% per year (Chart 4).

In the first half of 2006, the cargo turnover of Russian commercial seaports increased by 2% compared to the same period last year and amounted to 199.634 million tons, 82.111 million tons of dry cargo, with a decrease in cargo turnover by 2% and 117.523 million tons of liquid cargo, with an increase of 5.3%.

In the next 5–10 years, world experts predict an increase in foreign trade turnover between the countries of Europe and Asia by 1.5–2 times, which determines the key importance of the redistribution of cargo flows and the adequate development of the transport infrastructure of the countries of the Caspian region. In the first half of 2006, the cargo turnover of Russian commercial seaports increased by 2% compared to the same period last year and amounted to 199.634 million tons.

G

forecast plan
raf.4 Volumes of transportation of all export-import cargoes and transshipment of cargoes in seaports in Russia from 2002-2005 (million tons / year) (Source of the forecast plan: "Strategy for the development of transport of the Russian Federation until 2010")

in fact

The practice of maritime cargo route - goods loaded on board the ship pass through the Indian Ocean, the Sea of ​​​​Oman, the Gulf of Adana, the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, enter the Mediterranean Sea; and goods from Southern Russia and Ukraine are transported to Odessa via the Black Sea, goods from Northern Europe, Northern Russia and Ukraine are transported via the Strait of Gibraltar. the Atlantic Ocean, the English Channel and the Baltic Sea to the northern ports of Europe like: Helsinki and St. Petersburg. The transportation of goods along these sea routes is very expensive and delayed.

The Caspian region has become a zone of strategic interests of a number of European and American states that do not have direct access to the Caspian. One of the main aspects of interest is the delivery time of goods via the Caspian transit route through Russia, which is 10 days less than by sea via Western European ports (Figure 5).

Russia, in addition to the role of a transit country, is the most profitable expansion of trade relations in the Caspian region. The basis of cargo flows from Russia to the countries of Southeast Asia are the following export cargoes. Metals, industrial products, salt, sulfur and automobiles are supplied to Vietnam from the Central and Northwestern regions. In the United Arab Emirates - aluminum, copper and rubber products. Today, paper and pulp are shipped from Karelia to Vietnam and India through the ports of the Baltic Sea. Products of organic chemistry are sent from Samara to the Iranian market.

In 2000, the governments of three states - Russia, Iran and India signed an Agreement on the establishment of the International North-South Transport Corridor. The North-South corridor that defines the route: port of Mumbai (formerly Bombay, India) - Indian Ocean - Persian Gulf - port of Bandar Abbas (Iran) - port of Bandar Amirabad (Iran) - port of Anzeli (Iran) - Caspian Sea - port of Olya (Ast Rakhan, Russia) – St. Petersburg (Russia).

The new route, according to experts, will reduce the duration of cargo transportation by 10-12 days compared to the traditional sea route through the Suez Canal, which takes about 40 days. And this, in turn, will reduce transport costs by 20%.

The agreement on the ITC "North-South" involves the delivery of goods from various ports of both the Caspian and Black Seas. In the future, it is planned that the ITC "North-South" will intersect with the Trans-Siberian, which will create a large transshipment point between the two main transport corridors of Russia.

Realizing the prospects of the North-South corridor, the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Republic of Tajikistan and the Sultanate of Oman, the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Syrian Arab Republic joined the Agreement on the ITC "North-South". The key link in the ITC "North-South" is the Caspian Sea.

Fig.5 The main directions of export cargo flows of Russia to the Front and Central Asian region

Front and

Central

Asia

Arabia

India

Economy and politics of the Caspian
As a result of the transformations that took place at the end of the 20th century, the Caspian became a sea of ​​five states: Russia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan (Figure 6). The region has become a zone of strategic interests not only for these states, but also for a number of others that do not have direct access to the Caspian.

So far, due to the underdevelopment of maritime logistics, importers and exporters from the countries of the Persian Gulf, the Indian Ocean and even Southeast Asia send their goods to Central, Northern Europe and Russia by sea and on the high seas, i.e. bypassing the Caspian region.

The strategic importance of the Caspian region, in addition to hydrocarbon resources, is determined by its border position between Europe and Asia at the crossroads of promising intercontinental and international transport directions and communications "east-west" and "north-south", at the mobile junction of spheres of dominating influence of three world religions - Christianity , Islam and Buddhism.

Since 2001, Russia has been actively developing the Russian part of the international transport corridor "North-South", connecting India and Iran with Northern Europe, which predetermined the active development of the Russian part of the Caspian region. Cargo flows from traditional sea routes around Europe, as well as from the TRACECA ITC, can be redirected to the North-South route.

To date, there are three main ports operating on the Caspian Sea - Astrakhan, the port of Olya and Makhachkala (Dagestan). Currently, Russian ports are processing 35% of the entire Caspian cargo traffic.

Fig.6 The main directions of export cargo flows of Russia to the Front and Central Asian region

In recent years, the Astrakhan transport hub has been experiencing rapid development as a major transit center for the exchange of goods between Europe and Asia. The volume of cargo transportation by road increased compared to 1997 almost 2 times.

Late 80s through the Astrakhan transport hub annually passed up to 12 million tons of cargo per year, with a small amount of international transit cargo from Europe to Iran, about 200 thousand tons of cargo per year. Highways make it possible to deliver heavy containers from Astrakhan to Moscow in less than 2 days, and to Helsinki and Berlin in 4-5 days.

If in 2000 the cargo turnover of the terminals of the ports of Astrakhan and Olya alone amounted to slightly more than 1 million tons, then in 2002 it increased to 2.5 million tons. In 2003, the picture is even more attractive - the volume of cargo handling increased by 80%. Currently, the largest volume of cargo passes through the port of Astrakhan.

In the first half of 2006, all Russian ports handled 82.111 million tons of dry cargo, with a 2% decrease in cargo traffic, and 117.523 million tons of liquid cargo, with an increase of 5.3%.

In the Soviet period, bulk mineral building materials, transported by inland waterways, prevailed in the structure of cargo transportation.

T


Table 7 Plans for deliveries to Russia of a number of nomenclature items in 2003 along the North-South corridor (according to the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation)

At present, more than 95% of the cargo turnover of all Caspian ports falls on the handling of Russian foreign trade cargoes with transportation by sea to the ports of the Caspian Sea. Metal products, timber, containers, equipment, chemical cargoes, oil, foodstuffs prevail in the range of goods passing through the ITC "North-South" (Table 7). Ferry communication between Russia, Turkmenistan and Iran is actively developing. It is planned to transport cars on ferry lines to Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan.

D


iagr.8 Cargo turnover of the Caspian Russian sea trade ports (million tons)

plan - forecast

fact

In 2002, 5.3 million tons of cargo was transported along the North-South international transport corridor, and 3.6 million tons in the first half of 2003, which indicates an intensive growth in cargo flows by almost 1.5 times. According to the forecasts of experts from the Ministry of Transport of Russia, the transportation of transit container cargoes along the international transport route "North-South": Northern Europe - Russia - Iran - the countries of the Persian Gulf - India in the future can reach 20 million tons (Diagram 8).

Despite the growth of Russian foreign trade cargo flows in the Caspian region, there is an acute shortage of port facilities in the Caspian. In addition, there are only about 60 ships on the balance sheet of the North Caspian Shipping Company, mostly old and small, mostly river ones, because

Turkmenistan's foreign trade turnover in January this year amounted to 512 million US dollars, which is 14% more than in January 2001. According to the National Institute of Statistics and Information, exports increased by 23% - up to 264 million dollars, imports - by 6% - up to 248 million dollars. In January of this year, Turkmenistan carried out the largest export operations with Ukraine (50% of exports) , Iran (12%), Russia (11%), Italy (9%), Turkey (5%), Cyprus (2%).

Russian-Iranian trade and economic relations
For Russia, Iran is seen both as a competitor and as a partner.

It occupies a strategic position connected with Turkey and Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. In the south it has access to the Persian Gulf, and in the north it owns the southern sector of the Caspian Sea. Here it borders on the new Transcaucasian states - Azerbaijan, Armenia and Turkmenistan (Figure 9).

In January 1980, foreign trade was nationalized in Iran, while trade within the country remains with private entrepreneurs. The development of the Iranian economy can be characterized as stable, with an average annual GDP growth rate of over 5%. In 2003, the volume of GDP amounted to $130 billion, with an increase of 6.1%. In Iran, the task is to ensure GDP growth of 8% (Diagram 10).

Iran's foreign economic turnover is characterized by dynamic growth and amounted to $60.6 billion in 2003 (growth by 16.5% over the year), of which export - $34.1 billion, import - $26.5 billion. However, 80% of Iranian exports are crude oil.

At the beginning of 2002, the total hydrocarbon reserves in Iran amounted to about 270 billion barrels, with 63% of them being natural gas, and 37% - crude oil. Among the 11 members of OPEC, the largest oil exporters are Saudi Arabia and Iran, which produce 7.945 and 3.665 million barrels, respectively. oil.

Iran's export commodities are oil, cotton, carpets, metal ores, etc., while its import commodities are machinery and equipment, vehicles, metals, chemicals, etc. (Diagram 11)

In the nomenclature of Iranian imports, the main place is occupied by industrial equipment, rolled metal, electrical equipment, raw materials for the production of plastics, chemicals, road construction and handling equipment (cranes), animal and vegetable edible oils, paper, cardboard and medicines.

For 12 months of 2004-2005 Iran imported 21,321 thousand tons of goods worth $34,105 million, which is 7.6% more by weight and 30.4% more by value than last year (2003-2004). During the year, the cost of imports of rolled metal increased by 48.9%, medicines by 8.1%. Iran is heavily dependent on the country's wheat imports.

With 24.200 bcm of proven reserves gas, Iran is on this indicator in 2nd place in the world. 74% of Iran's urban families use gas. Existing opportunities allow Iran to import daily up to 40 million cubic meters, 11 million cubic meters - in the warm season and 26 million cubic meters - in the cold. Iran is buying the missing gas from Turkmenistan, despite the fact that a significant part of the gas produced in the western regions of Turkmenistan has already been contracted by Russia's Gazprom.

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Fig.9 Transport routes in Iran in the ITC "North-South" system

Fig.11 Share of goods in the total structure of Iranian exports in 2001

Fig. 10 The share of participation of types of activities in Iran's GDP (%).

In 2004, Iran imported goods worth $14.5 billion from the EU countries and exported goods worth $10.2 billion to the EU.

Currently, there is economic cooperation between Iran and Russia in the export-import of oil. Projects are being developed to export oil products and gas to Iran to Gazprom, Rosneft, LUKOIL, Sibneft, Yukos, Rosneft, LUKOIL, Sibneft (Figure 12)

Iran is currently importing petroleum products mainly from Russia, Azerbaijan, including gasoline. In 2001, Iran spent $2.3 billion on imports of equipment and petroleum products, of which $600 million was for the purchase of petroleum products.

Until 2010, Iran's imports of oil products will amount to $50 billion. The main item of Iranian import of oil products is motor gasoline. Thus, out of $1 billion spent on the purchase of oil refinery products abroad, $800 million fell on gasoline. During the same period, Iran produced $500 million worth of gasoline. According to Iranian economists, by 2006 the import of oil products will increase to $2.5 billion.

R

Fig.12 Projects for the supply of Russian oil, oil products and gas to Iran and transshipment through Iran

Iran's need for metal is up to 40 million tons per year. In 2002, Ukraine exported 290,000 tons of rolled products to Iran. At present, there are three large and four small metallurgical enterprises in Iran (for example: a metallurgical plant in Mobarak (Isfahan province)), which provide only 60% of the country's economy with steel. The remaining 40% of needs are compensated by imports.

In 2000-2001 agricultural In 2009, Iran produced: wheat - 9.459 million tons, barley - 2.423 million tons, rice - 1.99 million tons. Iran is one of the five largest importers of barley in the world.

In 2002, the country imported 750 thousand tons of barley and about 200 thousand tons of feed grain. And the total Russian export of barley for the same period amounted to 1.1 million tons. So far, the volumes of Russian grain supplies to Iran are small, but the market is very promising.

Majority wood it is imported to Iran from Russia and Georgia, and from Russia, mainly pine and, in smaller quantities, spruce are imported. Only through the customs point in Astara for 9 months of 2005, 72.97 thousand tons of various types of beech and coniferous wood were imported to Iran by land from Russia

species, which is 50% more than in 2004. The growth of imports, as well as the introduction in Russia of customs privileges for timber imports in the last 2004-2005. led to the fact that Iranian consumers largely reoriented from the use of local wood to imported wood, which led to the full use of Russian wood in industry and construction in the north of Iran.

About 150 facilities have been built in Iran with the assistance of the Soviet Union. In order to stabilize market prices for concrete, cement and steel, as well as eliminate the shortage of these goods in Iran, import duties on cement, concrete, steel and other products necessary for construction. The level of imports of building materials to Iran is growing by 23% annually.

The Iranian army has much more Western equipment than Soviet. The Persians received spare parts and ammunition for Western-made equipment through third countries. The UN has imposed sanctions against Iran and Iraq. Iran has turned its attention to Russia. In 2004, Iran's foreign trade surplus amounted to $10 billion: buy weapon clearly there is something.

Fig.13 Volumes of trade turnover between Russia and Iran for 1999-2004 (million $)

+40%

+20%

Iran is armed with 220 T-72 tanks Russian-made, and now there is a rather acute problem with spare parts for them. Specific agreements have been reached on the repair and modernization by Russia of 35 Iranian MiG-29 and 24 Su-24 aircraft.

The program for the development of the Iranian air defense system involves the protection of about 15 oil terminals and other important industrial facilities, including the nuclear power plant in Bushehr, from air strikes, which prompted the signing of an air defense contract with Russia (the first in a series of agreements) for a total amount of about 1.6 billion .dollars During 2006 - 2008 Russia will supply Iran with 29 Tor-M1 anti-aircraft missile systems.

In Iran, the construction of a series of missile destroyers began only in 2000. Rocket launchers on these ships will be 90% produced by the country's own forces. But missiles for these installations are very necessary. The Iranians are showing particular interest in the 3M-80E Moskit supersonic homing anti-ship missile produced in Russia.

Fig.14 Shares of trade between Russia and Iran in 2001 and 2005 (%)

2001

2005

Export to Iran

Export to Iran

Import

from Iran

Import

from Iran

Iran is a traditional and major trading partner of Russia. The share of Iran in the Russian foreign trade turnover is 1%. From 1999 to 2004, the volume of trade between Russia and Iran quadrupled (Diagram 13). More than 90% of this turnover is Russian exports to Iran (Diagram 14). The growth of Iran's exports to Russia is about 87%, and Russia's exports to Iran - 48%.

The main areas of trade and economic cooperation between Russia and Iran are energy, including nuclear, metallurgy, oil and gas and chemical industries, and transport.

An analysis of the structure of trade between Russia and Iran shows that the basis of Russian exports to Iran are metals and metal products (Diagram 15). The bulk of imports from Iran to Russia are food products and agricultural raw materials (Diagram 16).

Fig.15 Structure of exports from Russia to Iran (%)

Fig.16 Structure of imports to Russia from Iran (%)

Iran and Russia see each other as a strategic ally. The volume of Russian investments in Iran in 2003 amounted to $581 million, which is 13.3% of all Russian investments abroad (Diagram 17).

Iran's northern provinces are showing particular interest in developing trade relations with Russian partners.

For example, after the exhibition of commodity producers of the Gilan province in Astrakhan in May 2001, 16 new firms with the participation of Iranian capital were opened in the Astrakhan region alone.

D


fig.17 Volumes of Russian investments abroad and in Iran in 2003

In the Astrakhan region in 2005, there were already 66 enterprises with Iranian investments, as well as 6 branches of Iranian legal entities. Representative offices of the Iranian shipping companies "Khazar Shipping", "Irsotr" have been opened, which have free access to the entire transport infrastructure of the Astrakhan region. The government of the Astrakhan region, for its part, is interested in expanding the range of goods, both exports and imports, as well as in attracting Iranian investment in the real sector of the economy of our region.

Export from Russia to Iran in the period 2003-2004 amounted to. amounted to $ 1,734.2 million, an increase of 50%, imports from Iran to Russia - $ 93 million, with an increase of 69%.

The share of Iran in the Russian trade turnover is 0.8% (Diagram 18). Russia supplies Iran with up to 80% of its machinery, equipment, vehicles and metal products, which are exported to different countries of the world.

In 2004, Iran accounted for 37.73% of the Astrakhan foreign trade turnover.

The transit traffic, in the total volume of cargo turnover Iran - Astrakhan region) is ~ 25% with an increase of 40% annually (from Iran to Europe, through Iran to other countries).

Basically, in the system of maritime cargo transportation, Russia operates through the Iranian port of Enzali, which handles more than 50% of Russian export metal products to Iran and about 65% of timber and sawn timber (Figure 19).

In the current period, the leading enterprises of Russia and neighboring countries are working with Iran, supplying their products to Iran in transit through Russia.

In the weapon system:

• 
  The Progress Company (Arseniev, Far East, Russia) is preparing for the constant supply of large batches of a supersonic homing anti-ship missile 3M-80E "Mosquito" to Iran in the period from 2007 to 2012, with equipment for adjustment and installation.
• 
  Since 2003, there have been executable contracts for the supply of laser equipment to Iran for peaceful purposes, on the basis of the Scientific and Technological Center for Microtechnologies of the St. Petersburg Research Institute named after D.V. Efremov.
• 
  Iran has 200 T-72 tanks, 30 Su-24 fighters and 35 fighters MiG-29 Russian production of the 80s - early 90s. To keep these weapons in working condition, the Russian military-industrial complex forms a constant supply of component materials and adjustment equipment from Russia.

R


Fig.18 Volumes of cargo flows of the Astrakhan region to Iran and from Iran from 1989 to 2010 (million tons)

In the building system:

• 
  The Russian association Technopromexport has built in Iran a number of power units at Iranian TPPs. Now the issues of construction of new power plants are being worked out and supplies of equipment are being formed.
• 
  The construction of the Qazvin-Rasht-Anzeli-Astara railway is being carried out jointly by Iran and Russia, for which adjustment equipment and railway equipment are constantly supplied from Russia.
• 
  Negotiations are underway on the construction of the second block of the Bushehr nuclear power plant and the supply of component materials and adjustment equipment.
• 
  Russia and Iran are negotiating the construction of 22 nuclear power plants in Iran by 2015.

In the system of industrial raw materials:

• 
  OJSC Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works, OJSC Chelyabinsk Iron and Steel Works, CJSC Plast-Rifei and a number of other Russian enterprises export ferrous metals and industrial raw materials to Iran. An analysis of the export of ferrous metals from the enterprises of the South Urals to Iran shows a dynamic growth. Thus, in 2002, on average, 137 thousand tons were sent per month, in 2003 - 152.6 thousand tons, and in 2004 this figure already reached 161.2 thousand tons. CJSC Plast-Rifey increased the export of industrial raw materials to 2 thousand tons per year.
• 
  Khartsyzsky Pipe Plant (KhTZ, Ukraine, Donetsk region) in 2005 increased its output by 26.2% (compared to 2004) to 546.6 thousand tons (including 545.4 thousand tons of pipes of large diameter (371.8 thousand tons of this volume with anti-corrosion coating) and 1.2 thousand tons of pipes for refrigerators). In 2005, KhTZ delivered 84.7 thousand tons of pipes through Russia to Iran, 72.4 thousand tons to Kazakhstan, 14.5 thousand tons to China, and 2.7 thousand tons to the USA.

Fig. 19 Main directions of goods flows to Iran from Astrakhan and the port of Olya

In the fuel and energy system:

• 
  OAO LUKOIL will process Russian raw materials at Iranian refineries in the north of the country to meet domestic needs. In return, Iran will provide Russia with an equivalent amount of its oil at terminals in the Persian Gulf. This scheme, in which oil will be delivered to Iran by tankers, will be able to bring Russian companies to non-European buyers, providing them with raw materials at a competitive price. In implementing this scheme, LUKOIL may use raw materials produced by its subsidiary Nizhnevolzhskneft, which will be delivered from Astrakhan (Olya) or Volgograd to the Iranian port of Neka. Further, it can be pumped deep into Iran through the 16-inch Neka-Sari pipeline.
• 
  The company "Gazprom" participates in the implementation of the project in 2006-2009. the Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline and the development of one or two stages of the South Pars field with the subsequent delivery of produced hydrocarbons for export. Which in turn requires the supply of materials

and equipment for the construction of underground storage systems for liquid and gaseous hydrocarbons, constant supply of components and control devices.

In the mechanical engineering system:

• 
  Since 2005, the Iranian company "Kaku Khavar Bakhtar", which is the official representative of the Russian Kama Association for the production of heavy vehicles "KamAZ" in Iran, has been importing to Iran Russian tractors "KamAZ" of modern models "5460", "6460" and "6520" with a capacity of 320 - 360 hp, engines of which comply with EURO - 2 and - 3 standards.

In the system of agricultural products:

• 
  Large consignments of Russian grain are exported to Iran. The volume of grain transshipments in 2003 amounted to 1.5 million tons. Iran confirms the constantly growing demand for this product from Russia.

International transport corridor "North - South"
The agreement on the international transport corridor "North-South" between Russia, India, Iran, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Oman, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Syria meets the vital interests of these countries. Agreement on the establishment of the International Transport Corridor "North-South". The North-South corridor that defines the route: Port of Mumbai (former Bombay, And India) - Indian Ocean - Persian Gulf - Bandar Abbas port (Iran) - Bandar Amirabad port (Iran) - Anzeli port (Iran) - Caspian Sea - Olya port (Astrakhan, Russia) - St. Petersburg (Russia).

The International Transport Corridor "North-South" will ensure the transportation of goods from the ports of European and North European countries - Amsterdam, Hamburg, Copenhagen, Stockholm and Helsinki, to Moscow and St. Petersburg and further through the ports of the North Caspian, passes (Figure 20)

• 
  first - to the Caspian ports of the countries of Central Asia - Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, then through Uzbekistan and Tajikistan to the countries of the Far East and Southeast Asia.
• 
  secondly - to the Caspian ports of Iran, through the territory of Iran to its southern ports in the Persian Gulf (Bandar Abbas, Bandar Imam, etc.) and then to India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and further to Australia.

In the North-South ITC chain, the cargo turnover of the Russian ports of the northern Caspian should be increased to 30 million tons by 2010, based on the large-scale construction of a new modern port of Olya (located in the southwestern part of the Volga River delta 103 km downstream from Astrakhan) and partial modernization of the Astrakhan and Makhachkala ports, as well as the formation of a car and railway logistics system in the Astrakhan region.

The ITC "North-South" route allows to reduce the duration of cargo transportation by 10-12 days compared to the traditional sea route through the Suez Canal, (duration of 40 days), and also allows to reduce transportation costs by 20%.

The main object of the Astrakhan water transport hub, the main stronghold of Russia and Europe with the CIS countries (Central Asia, the Caucasus) and the countries of the Asian continent, is the port of Olya.

To implement the Port of Olya project, in accordance with the construction organization project for the period 2006-2011, UTK MTPO LLC will attract and disburse funds in a total amount of up to $400 million. The project coordinator is the Federal State Institution “Directorate of the State Customer of Maritime Transport Development Programs.

The idea of ​​the port is closely connected with the development of international transport corridors "North-South" (connecting the countries of Northern Europe, Russia, Iran and India) and "West-East" (connecting the countries of Central Asia and Western Europe).

Main federal and regional development programs

1. 
   Federal Target Program "Program for the Development of the Southern Federal District until 2005"

Development of the port of Makhachkala and construction of a new port of Olya in the Northern Caspian. Opening of a ferry service between Russian and Iranian ports on the Caspian Sea.

Facilitation of customs operations when crossing third countries - Azerbaijan and Armenia, and which is the shortest in connection with many regions of Russia and European countries

1. 
   F
   Fig. 21 Expenses for the implementation of the federal target program "Modernization of the transport system of Russia (2002-2010)" (billion rubles in 2004 prices).
   Fig. 22 Planned volumes of financing of the federal target program "Modernization of the transport system of Russia (2002-2010)" for 2004 (total under the program - 380 billion rubles) federal target program "Modernization of the transport system of Russia (2002-2010)"

3. Federal project "North-South Corridor"

The working title of the project is "North-South Corridor" - "Corridor 9".

The objectives of this project are to provide transit communications between the countries of Northern Europe, Scandinavia and Russia, with the countries of the Persian Gulf basin, the Indian Ocean and Southeast Asia through Iran.

The International Transport Corridor "North-South" can provide transportation of goods from the ports of European and North European countries, such as Amsterdam, Hamburg, Copenhagen, Stockholm and Helsinki, to Moscow and St. Petersburg; and further through the ports of the Northern Caspian, passes to the ports of the countries of Central Asia: Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan and further, and can also go to the southern Iranian ports in the Persian Gulf (Bandar Abbas, Bandar Imam and beyond). The corridor may continue to India and Sri Lanka and further to Malaysia Singapore. Indonesia and beyond.

The North-South corridor starts from the Indian Ocean region, and through the southern Iranian port of Bandar Abbas, passes through the territory of Iran by road and railway, reaches the northern ports of Iran: Anzali and Amirabad, and then through Astrakhan and Lagan follows to Russia. With the expansion of the railway network. and laying a section of the Qazvin-Astara line, it became possible to connect with the countries of Central Asia and Russia. Further, the goods are transported by road and railway. transport to Moscow and St. Petersburg and from there to the Scandinavian countries and Northern Europe. Transportation of goods along this route will cost 30% less and is shorter in length than the former route.

Transportation of goods along this corridor, most of which runs through the territory of Iran, will cost 20-30% cheaper and faster than through the Suez Canal.

Features and benefits of the North-South corridor:

• 
  short way,
• 
  low transport rates,
• 
  time saving
• 
  transportation is carried out by combined vehicles.

It is planned that in 2010 the flow of foreign trade cargoes following the North-South transport corridor will reach 15-20 million tons.

4. Regional project "Strategy for socio-economic development of the Astrakhan region"

5. Federal target program "Transport strategy of Russia for the period up to 2020", adopted by the Government on May 28, 2005

1. 
   Federal target program "Development of export of transport services"

In order to increase the share of transit in the export of transport services by 2010 by 8-10 times from $600 million to $4.8-6 billion.

1. 
   Federal target program "South of Russia"
2. 
   Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation "On approval of the boundaries of the territory and water area of ​​the commercial seaport of Astrakhan"
3. 
   Decree of the President of the Russian Federation "On State Support for the Russian Merchant Fleet in the Caspian Sea" dated October 31, 1992 No. № 1314
4. 
   Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 996 dated October 8, 1993 "On the implementation of priority measures for the revival of the merchant fleet of Russia"

Port infrastructure of the Caspian region
There are 8 main seaports in the Caspian region: 3 ports in Russia, 2 in Iran, 1 in Azerbaijan, 1 in Kazakhstan and 1 in Turkmenistan. It is through these ports that up to 98% of the cargo transshipment of the Caspian passes.

In 2002, 5.3 million tons of cargo was transported along the North-South international transport corridor. For the first half of 2003 - 3.6 million tons.

In total, according to approximate estimates, about 800 ships of various types sail in the Caspian Sea.
countries, various purposes and displacement (Diagram 23).

Turkmenistan, in the last decade, has been building its own fleet. He has purchased 4 universal dry cargo ships with a carrying capacity of 3,000 tons each and intends to further develop his shipping. Kazakhstan still does not have the necessary level of vessels in the Caspian Sea, and in transportation it uses the services mainly of Azerbaijan. The Russian North Caspian Fleet (not counting the military) consists of 70 vessels, mostly river vessels, and mostly old and small.

The Caspian Shipping Company (“Caspar”) of Azerbaijan remains to this day the most powerful shipowner in the Caspian. This diversified enterprise includes dry cargo and bulk fleet, ferries. In total, these are 69 vessels with a total deadweight of 310 thousand tons, of which 34 are tankers (one for water transportation).

D


iagr.23 Shares of countries by number of ships in the Caspian Sea

The northern part of the Caspian is a zone of winter freezing (Figure 24). The average duration of the ice period is 100 days, the maximum is 148 days, and the minimum is 56 days. Moreover, the coastal part of the Northern Caspian, in the region of the Volga delta and the Ural delta, can be covered with ice up to 120 cm thick, with an average seasonal value of 70 cm.

In the Astrakhan part of the Caspian Sea, year-round navigation is supported by icebreaking assistance, two line icebreakers Kapitan Chechkin and Kapitan Bukaev, owned by MAP Astrakhan. During the winter navigation of 2002, 360 ships were navigated in ice conditions, and in 2003 - 568, with an increase of 58%.

Fig. 24 Scheme of ice conditions in the Caspian Sea on January 18, 2006 (according to NOAA-18, AVHRR, TERRA (MODIS) satellite data)

port of Astrakhan

port of Atyrau

Olya port

Icebreaking courses

ensure

Zone

maximum freezing of the Caspian Sea

port of Aktau

port of Makhachkala

Aktau (Kazakhstan) has recently become a leader in the Caspian region in terms of investment in port infrastructure: over three years, 76 million dollars have been invested here. In second place is the Turkish port of Amirabad (Iran) - $40 million. In the development of the Russian port terminals Astrakhan, Olya and Makhachkala, taken together, ~$29 million was invested over the same period.

Russian port "Astrakhan"
Open Joint Stock Company "Astrakhan Port" was founded in 1993. Office address: Russia, 414000, Astrakhan, Chernyshevsky st., 14.

The main commercial structure operating at the cargo berths of OJSC "Astrakhan Port" is LLC TEK "Volga-Vaster" - a member of RAME and FIATA.

The structure of the owners of Astrakhan Port OJSC, according to data for 2001, is: the Ministry of Property Relations of the Russian Federation - 25.5%, MP Partner LLC - 8.9%, ECF Astrakhan Sweets OJSC - 7.9%, OAO RPP "Kaspryba - 1" - 5.3%, OAO "Oranzhereinsky Delicacies" - 5.3%, "Volga-Vaster-West" - 3.3%, CJSC "IFK "Europe-Invest" - 1.3% , individuals - 42.5%.

The port economy of Astrakhan includes several legal organizations, basically, specialized and located in the city - these are both specialized ports and enterprises that have only berthing facilities and handling equipment.:

• 
  JSC "Astrakhan port";
• 
  LLC PKF "Central Cargo Port";
• 
  SUE "Astrakhan Sea Fishing Port";
• 
  OOO PF "Streletskoye - Terminal";
• 
  JSC Freight Company Armada;
• 
  Yug-Terminal LLC (UPTOK);
• 
  LLC RKF "Beluga-Terminal";
• 
  LLC PKF "Volga-port" (Bon-plant);
• 
  LLC "Alfa-port";
• 
  Boldinsky cargo section (the so-called - Boldinsky pier, mothballed);
• 
  OAO Lukoil-Nizhnevolzhsknefteprodukt Astrakhan Branch;
• 
  JSC "Terminal-Container";

The capacity of the Astrakhan port, in its entirety, is up to 6 million tons of cargo per year. Each of the ten stevedoring companies handles 100.000-300.000 tons of cargo. Only at JSC "Astrakhan Port" the volumes reach 700,000 tons.

The port of Astrakhan has warehouse facilities with a total area of ​​over 200,000 sq.m. The port has more than 40 portal cranes with a lifting capacity of 6 to 27.5 tons and 7 truck cranes with a lifting capacity of 12 to 75 tons. The total length of the quay wall is 2772 m, the depth at the berths is from 4 to 4.5 m. 8 berths have intra-port railway lines

The Caspian Sea is the largest lake on Earth. It washes the shores of five states. These are Russia, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Iran. It is called a lake because the body of water is not connected to the oceans. But according to the composition of water, history of origin and size, the Caspian is a sea.

Baku

The major ports of the Caspian Sea are majestic. One of them, Baku, is the capital of Azerbaijan. It is located on the western coast of the Caspian Sea. The city of Baku has become the largest center for the extraction of black gold and gas since the end of the 19th century. In addition to the oil industry, weaving and tobacco production also developed here. In the middle of the last century, mechanical engineering, metalworking industry, as well as the production of building materials began to increase in the Azerbaijani capital.

At present, Baku is the largest scientific, technical and industrial center in the entire Transcaucasus. Since the beginning of this century, the military industry and high information technologies began to develop with great success in the capital of Azerbaijan. Besides the fact that Baku is the largest port of the Caspian Sea, the city is also the main railway junction. Most of the cargo turnover falls on the seaport. There are international flights from the airport every day. Railroads were carried out to Iran, Russia and Georgia. And inside the capital itself, all types of urban transport operate.

Iranian ports on the Caspian Sea

In Iran, on the Caspian coast, there is the port city of Chalus, through which the river of the same name flows, flowing into the sea. The climate in this region is mostly temperate and humid. Port Chalus is a famous summer resort. There are places for recreation, hotels, as well as a funicular, thanks to which you can see the surroundings from mountain heights - forest parks, waterfalls, forests, the coast. In warm seasons, everything here is covered with flowers, and in autumn - with a yellowed crown of forests. In the winter season, the mountain slopes are shrouded in snow. In addition to the beaches that are open in the summer, Chalus also has a ski resort, which is known for its climbing bases.

Another major Iranian port of the Caspian Sea is Bandar Anzeli. The uniqueness of this city lies in the fact that it is surrounded by the sea from almost all sides. And only one part of it borders on land. The inhabitants of this port are mainly engaged in fishing, agriculture and handicraft industry. Thanks to the warm and humid climate, it is possible to grow rice and sericulture here. Since fishing is developed in the city, weaving nets for catching fish also takes pride of place. Bandar Anzeli is one of the most important shipbuilding centers of Iran. In addition, there are enterprises for the processing of rice, tobacco, oil and wood.

Aktau

On the eastern shore of the Caspian is the Kazakh port of the Caspian Sea - Aktau. This city is the only one in the republic that deals with international transportation of black gold and its products. The main economic branch of Aktau is the petrochemical industry. The largest plastics production plant in Kazakhstan, as well as nitrogen-fertilizer, sulfuric acid, chemical and hydrometallurgical enterprises are located here.

In addition to them, the food industry is also developing in Aktau. On the local territory there is a nuclear power plant. However, uranium mining and the nuclear reactor ceased operations in the 1990s. But the city was able to continue its development thanks to the oil and gas industry.

Turkmenbashi

Also on the eastern coast of the Caspian Sea is the city of Turkmenistan - Turkmenbashi. This port of the Caspian Sea is a major center of the republic's oil refining industry. The plants produce polypropylene, diesel and universal oils. In Turkmenbashi, maritime transport is mainly a ferry terminal. A ferry to the city of Baku is constantly working here. In addition, there are railway junctions and an airport.

Shipbuilding and repair plants have been set up on the territory of the international seaport in order to expand opportunities in the oil industries. Recently, a passenger station has also been opened in this city. Speaking about the seaports of the Caspian Sea, it can be clarified that this one is one of the main ones.

port on the Caspian Sea

Alternative descriptions

Cinema in Moscow, st. Usievich

Mayakovsky's verse

Capital of Azerbaijan

Capital of the Azeris

Capital of the near abroad

The capital of the Caucasian state

Birthplace of Yuli Gusman

The largest seaport on the Caspian Sea

This large city is located in the southern part of the Absheron Peninsula, on the shores of the Caspian Sea.

Oil capital of the Western coast of the Caspian Sea

Film by Alexander Zarkhi "Lights ..."

The story of the Russian writer O. P. Smirnov "Quick to ..."

City of 26 Commissars

The name of this neighboring capital is translated as "City of Winds"

Hometown of singer Larisa Dolina

The sights of this capital are the Palace of the Shirvanshahs, the minaret of Synyk-Kala (XI century), the Maiden Tower, "Bayil stones" (XII century), etc.

Poem by V. Bryusov

Mayakovsky's poem

Moscow cinema

Capital in the Caucasus

City "Neftchi"

Capital of a country from the CIS

Capital with oil

Yuli Gusman's hometown

In which capital is the Maiden's Tower?

Capital near the Caspian

The oil capital of the Caspian

Residence of the Aliyev clan

Small homeland of Yuli Gusman

Azerbaijan

Capital on the Caspian Sea

. "city of winds" among the capitals

Zarhi's film "Lights ..."

Hometown of Lev Landau

Hometown of Larisa Dolina

Metropolitan anagram "Cuba"

City governing Azerbaijan

Central city of Azerbaijan

City of power of Azerbaijan

Megapolis Azerbaijan.

Capital of Azerbaijan.

City of the Aliyev clan

In which capital is the Juma Mosque?

Head city of Azerbaijan

Ch. city ​​of Azerbaijan.

Smirnov's story "Quick to ..."

Birthplace of Garry Kasparov

The main Azerbaijani city

Leading city of Azerbaijan

. "crowned" city of Azerbaijan

The main city of Azerbaijan

The city where the head of Azerbaijan "sat down"

Commander of Azerbaijan

. "helmsman" city of Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan government city

. "heart" of Azerbaijan

The main city of Azerbaijanis

Oil capital of the Caucasus

City-"leader" of Azerbaijan

Center of the Baku Khanate

Think tank of Azerbaijan

Capital city of Azerbaijan

City on the Caspian coast

Central city of Azerbaijan

The largest port of the Caspian

Capital city of Azerbaijan

City of leadership of Azerbaijan

Capital city of Azerbaijan

City of oil workers

Kasparov's hometown

Hometown of Irina Allegrova

Summoning creature Danzo from the anime "Naruto"

Twinning Amman

Sister of St. Petersburg

Scientific Center of Transcaucasia

Capital of Azerbaijan

Capital of the Union Republic

The city in which Father Fyodor begged the engineer Bruns for his furniture set ("Twelve Chairs")

City, capital of Azerbaijan

Cinema in Moscow