Simulation of Aktau Port as part of the Trans-Caspian Route

Freight traffic volumes in Kazakhstan have grown steadily in recent years. In 2021, freight traffic by all modes of transport (excluding pipelines) amounted to 4.2 billion tons. The turnover of all modes of transport (excluding pipelines) amounted to KZT 1.4 trillion (about USD 3.25 billion), of which freight accounted for 78%. 23.8 million tons of cargo were transported in transit through the Republic of Kazakhstan (+4.8% compared to the previous year). 88% of transit cargo was carried by rail freight. The volume of containerized freight traffic reached 1,065.6 million TEUs last year, an increase of 22% over the previous year.

Due to the war in Ukraine and the accompanying sanctions, central transport routes were disrupted. As a result, transport demand increased on the Trans-Caspian route (transit from Urumchi to the port of Aktau, then by sea to Azerbaijan and on through Georgia and Turkey to Europe). The port of Aktau is currently reaching its capacity limits due to the increasing transport performance in container transport and the consequently increasing container throughput. In order to expand the capacity of the port and increase the efficiency of container handling, the expansion of the port is planned.

The aim of this cooperative research is to jointly evaluate different expansion variants with regard to the operational requirements expected in the future, using the port of Aktau as a case study. In addition, a conceptual model for mapping and investigating the automation of a port's processes is to be developed. This model will be used to identify and evaluate the factors influencing the system behavior of a port.

Thus, key questions, such as the following, are to be answered:

What type and number of resources (e. g. water-side cranes, truck unloading points) are needed in the port? How can storage and handling capacities be coordinated, also with regard to land use?

How do changed processes in the context of automation affect the handling performance and process costs of a handling terminal?

Which influencing factors have the greatest impact on the performance of the port?