KTZ carried out the first shipment of sunflower oil in 40-foot containers using flexitanks, the company said in a statement. The pilot batch was shipped from Predgornaya station (East Kazakhstan region) to Nantong city (Jiangsu province, China) through the Dostyk-Alashankou border crossing.
Flexitanks are flexible tanks placed inside containers. They allow transporting up to 26 tons of liquid cargo, providing reliable protection of the contents and minimizing the risks of leaks and contamination.
Since 2020, NC KTZ JSC has been actively developing the export of vegetable oils in 20-foot containers using flexitanks, which contributes to the growth of supply volumes to the largest market for Kazakhstani oil and fat products. The new shipment in 40-foot containers opens up additional opportunities for expanding export shipments. Over the past five years, vegetable oil supplies to China have increased 10-fold.
The project was implemented within the framework of the agreements reached at the meeting of the Subgroup of Experts on the Organization of Transportation and Marketing between KTZ and the State Corporation China Railways in June 2025 in Zhengzhou.
The technical work on equipping the containers with flexitanks was carried out by a Kazakhstani company specializing in the installation of such equipment, in full compliance with the requirements of the railway administrations of Kazakhstan and China. As noted by the representative of the KTZ branch – “Integrated Planning Directorate” Kairat Zhumabayev, the use of flexitanks allows to significantly reduce transportation costs, speed up loading and unloading processes, and increase the efficiency of export-import operations.
Photo: courtesy of Kazakhstan Temir Zholy