Kazakhstan and Turkey plan to build a shipyard in the Mangystau region, announced Kazakhstan's Minister of Transport, Marat Karabayev.
Construction of the shipyard is set to begin next year, with completion planned for 2027. The facility is estimated to cost 130 billion tenge, or $250 million. Construction is scheduled for 2025-2026, reports Eurasiatoday.tu.
"A significant issue remains the lack of a national fleet. Currently, only ferries owned by Azerbaijan operate on the Kuryk–Alat route. In the near future, we will need at least seven ships. To build them, Turkish firms YDA and ASFAT plan to establish a specialized shipyard near the port of Kuryk," noted the Kazakh minister.
The specific types of ships to be produced have not yet been disclosed, but during his address, Karabayev mentioned Kazakhstan’s need to acquire vessels for cargo transportation.
The project’s investors include Kazakhstan's ERSAI and Turkey's YDA construction corporation, along with ASFAT, the Turkish military factories and shipyards management company.
In 2023, ASFAT had already shown interest in the "Zenit" plant for patrol and missile boats.
Photos from the agreement-signing ceremony featured images of the "Ada" corvette, a counterpart to the patrol ship "Hetman Mazepa," currently under construction for Ukraine's navy.
In December 2023, Minister Karabayev stated that Kazakhstan aims to establish the shipyard using existing production facilities, with financing provided by the Industrial Development Fund. He also mentioned the possibility of leveraging the capabilities of ERSAI, a company specializing in metal structures.
According to Karabayev, companies YDA, ASFAT, and ADP have expressed interest in the shipyard project. The plant will meet demand through the production of both commercial and government ships.
The project presentation highlighted the total cost of 130 billion tenge, with potential investors including YDA, ASFAT, and ERSAI.
CentralasianLIGHT.org
December 26, 2024