The International Turkmenbashi Seaport, which is set to transform Turkmenistan into a logistics hub in world trade, was given the world’s most prestigious prize in engineering, contracting and architecture: the “Global Best Project” award. Already boasting a strategic location in energy with energy transmission lines extending from the East to the West, Turkmenistan also became assertive in logistics with the commissioning of the seaport project.
The seaport cuts down cargo delivery times from Asia to Europe to 15 days from 45, becoming the most rapid gateway to the West of the “Modern Silk Road.”The biggest port on the Caspian Sea coastline, the International Turkmenbashi Seaport is also the “world’s deepest seaport” with an elevation of minus 27 meters.
Commissioned by the State of Turkmenistan to GAP İnşaat on the Caspian coast as one of the most strategic investments of the Modern Silk Road, the International Turkmenbashi Seaport won the world’s most prestigious award in the United States. The International Turkmenbashi Seaport, which will transform Turkmenistan into a world logistics hub, was selected by the New York-based ENR as the winner of the first prize in the “Airport / Seaport” category at the “Global Best Projects” competition, which evaluates projects across 23 categories. The International Turkmenbashi Seaport achieved a great success, as it was shortlisted in the top three in the “Best of the Best” competition where the winners of these 23 categories compete. The award was given at a ceremony held in New York on October 2.
THE HEART OF THE MODERN SILK ROAD WILL BEAT HERE
Launched last May, the International Turkmenbashi Seaport is considered as the ‘heart’ of the Modern Silk Road in world trade. Set to transform Turkmenistan into a major logistics hub, the seaport made possible the uninterrupted shipment of ship goods from China to Europe on train. 95 percent of the goods shipped from Asia to Europe are still delivered by sea within 45 days while the International Turkmenbashi Seaport cuts down this time by 30 days through rail transportation between Asia and Europe. Accordingly, the cargo arriving from China to Turkmenistan on an uninterrupted railroad are loaded on a ferry at the International Turkmenbashi Seaport on the Caspian coast to be sent to Azerbaijan, where it is sent to the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railroad, which was opened recently. And when the railroad construction on the Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge is completed, uninterrupted shipment to Europe will start.
A RESULT OF PRESIDENT BERDIMUHAMEDOV’S DEVELOPMENT VISION
Boasting the world’s fourth largest natural gas reserves, Turkmenistan accelerates its investments in infrastructure, superstructure and industrial facilities in line with its development led by President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov for the last decade. Situated in the city of Turkmenbashi and in the Awaza National Tourism Region, the seaport is a foremost strategic investment for the country. Under the International Turkmenbashi SeaPort, a ferry and passenger terminal, container terminal, general cargo port, bulk cargo port and a shipyard were built while the polypropylene terminal was expanded.
SEAPORT WITH A DOUBLE GUINNESS RECORD…
The International Turkmenbashi Seaport project also became the holder of world records in engineering and the environment. The UK-based Guinness, which puts on record the “superlatives” of the world, also accepted two separate record applications for the International Turkmenbashi Seaport. Constructed minus 27 meters below the sea level, the International Turkmenbashi Seaport won the Guinness Record as the world’s biggest port built below the sea level. The world’s largest artificial island was built under the instructions of Turkmenistan President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov off the coast near the port, which is frequented by migrated birds. This also brought in another entry in the Guinness Book of Records for the port for ‘the world’s biggest man-made island built for the birds under the sea level.
A WONDER OF ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURE IN CENTRAL ASIA
The port is built on an area of 1,434,149 square meters, and 8,993,788 cubic meters of deepening work and 5 million cubic meters of riprap works were done with a view to engaging in landscaping, conducting ecological cleanup, and protecting the existing natural environment from external factors. The seaport is 3,800 meters long, which allows cargo and passenger ships to dock and loading and unloading to take place faster and more comfortably. 3,915 meters of highway and 29,890 meters of railroad were also built in order to transport under more suitable conditions the cargo types on the East-West and North-South axes and to boost export and import capacities. The International Turkmenbashi Seaport, which will serve as a major logistics hub in the heart of Asia, employs 2,500 employees.