Work is underway on a new multimodal port, which will expand the capacity of the containerised freight route known as the Middle Corridor, in Georgia.

The USD10 million project to build the multimodal port in the city of Poti is a joint venture between PTC Holding and partners from Georgia, Georgian government agencies, the banking sector and private business.

The terminal will have a capacity of 80,000 20-foot Equivalent Unit (TEU) a year.

The Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, or the Middle Corridor, is a multimodal land and sea transport route that links Caspian and Black Sea ferry terminals with rail systems in China, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey, Ukraine and Poland.

The route consists of about 4,250 km of rail lines and about 500 km of seaway.

Georgian Vice Prime Minister Levan Davitashvili says the new port, implemented within the framework of the Kazakh-Georgian partnership, will help meet the increasing freight turnover along the Trans-Caspian route.

“I believe that as a result of joint efforts, the potential and competitiveness of the Middle Corridor will increase even more and attract additional cargo flows,” Davitashvili says.