Azerbaijan president Ilham Aliyev has officially opened the new roll on-roll off (Ro-Ro) terminal at the Baku International Sea Trade Port, in the Alat township of Qaradag district.
Mr Aliyev inspected the facilities at the port, which hopes to become a transportation hub linking the west (Turkey and European Union nations), south (Iran and India) and north (Russia). The port is linked to existing highways and railways, connecting the port to inland regions.
Capable of handling 160-metre-long, 10,000-tonne capacity ferries and other vessels working in the Caspian Sea, the port was designed to be able to undergo modular expansion of all cargo facilities (rail ferry, general cargo, container and bulk) up to one million TEU and 21-25 million tonnes of general cargo.
Phase One of the port comprises a ferry terminal, a general cargo berth, a 300-metre-long Ro-Ro berth, a service berth, railway lines, various administrative buildings, a customs holding area, an open storage yard, warehouses, a container yard, rail and road access to berths, a Ro-Ro ramp, a passenger service building, a heavy lift landing area and a truck amenities area.
It aims to achieve Green Port status by employing various efficiency technologies to reduce its carbon footprint.