Astrakhan Port has established a new shipping company it named Astraport Shippping, the press office of the Astrakhan region government has reported.
The decision to incorporate an own shipping company was made by the Iranian shareholders of the port in order to develop shipping services in the Caspian.
Igor Babushkin, Governor of the Astrakhan region, said that Iran’s IRISL is investing heavily into developing Astrakhan Port in an interview to TASS.
Astrakhan Port has signed a contract worth more than a billion rubles ($10.6 mn) with Lotos Shipyard to complete the construction of a RSD 49 dry cargo ship. The vessel is to be delivered in March 2024.
According to Babushkin, the investors plan to acquired two more vessels, and the Iranian party’s investment into the port development have exceeded 600 mn (6.34 mn). The partners intend to build two new terminals to handle grain and vegetable oil.
On September 7, 2023, the Astrakhan Port Board made a decision to acquired two vessels, the “Baltiysky Bereg” (IMO 9327179) and the “Nevsky Bereg” (IMO 9297113).
Photo: Astrakhan Oblast Government press office