The KTZE-Khorgos Gateway logistic complex, which is an inland dry port located on the border between Kazakhstan and China, plans to increase its cargo flow to 540,000 TEU per year. This was announced by KTZE-Khorgos Gateway’s General Director Zhaslan Khamzin, the company reports.
"The dry port handled more than 80,000 TEU (twenty foot equivalent) in 2016. We have already processed more than 45,000 TEU over the past six months, and in our plan is to bring this figure to 150,000-160,000 TEU this year, taking account of the increasing Chinese flows. We are aiming for 540,000 TEU by 2020," Khamzin said.
According to him, he Chinese ports of Lianyungang and COSCO Shipping have bought 49% of KTZE-Khorgos Gateway, and the company expects additional container freight traffic.
"We process 5-6 trains per day. The Chinese are promising 3-4 trains in addition, which means that we will reach 10 container trains per day in the near future," Khamzin said.
The KTZE-Khorgos Gateway dry port is located at the Altynkol-Khorgos border crossing on the border between China and Kazakhstan. In addition, Kazakhstan is connected to China by another railway crossing - the Dostyk-Alashankou border crossing. According to Khamzin, it takes 2-3 days to deliver goods from the Khorgos dry port to Central Asia, 4-5 days to Moscow and St. Petersburg, and 12-13 days to Europe. The speed of container trains on routes to Europe reaches 1,200 kilometers per day.
The "Khorgos - Eastern Gate" special economic zone occupies an area of 4,591.5 hectares. The special economic zone consists of a logistic (224.9 hectares) and industrial (224.4 hectares) zones, as well as a transport and logistics complex (the dry port, which occupies 129.8 hectares).
The dry port is equipped with three gantry cranes, four rubber-tire gantry cranes, reach stackers, stacker-trucks for empty containers, container carriers, and forklift loaders.
There is a workshop for the repair of equipment and two warehouses with an area 5,000 square meters each, including chambers with climate-control function with an area 700 square meters each on the territory of the dry port.