Rhenus Group has signed an agreement to advance a trimodal container terminal at the Port of Aktau that would add at least 150,000 TEU of annual handling capacity on the Caspian leg of the Middle Corridor.

The deal, signed with Aktau International Sea Trade Port at the German-Kazakh Economic Forum in Berlin, defines the next stages of a project connecting maritime, rail and road transport on a site of at least 30 hectares. Rhenus is also working with Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ), the national railway operator, on capacity development along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR).

Tobias Bartz, CEO and Chairman of the Management Board of Rhenus Group, framed the agreement as part of a longer-term regional play. "The next joint steps with our partners are therefore important building blocks in our long-term commitment to the region," Bartz said.

What comes next for the Aktau project?

The terminal remains at the project preparation stage. The next phases include:

• An analysis of expected cargo flows
• Further assessment of the project's technical feasibility
• Assessment of its economic feasibility

For shippers moving freight between China, Central Asia and Europe, the development would ease one of the corridor's persistent constraints: limited container handling capacity on the Caspian section. If realised, the additional 150,000 TEU per year would strengthen Rhenus' ability to offer integrated services across the Middle Corridor, an alternative to Russia-dependent northern routes that has attracted growing carrier and forwarder interest.

How does Aktau fit Rhenus' corridor strategy?

The Aktau project forms part of a wider Rhenus strategy to build an integrated logistics network along the Trans-Caspian Corridor, linking terminals, depots, rail and maritime services with its European network.

Earlier in 2026, Rhenus expanded its Kazakh footprint by acquiring a rail-connected terminal near Almaty. That facility provides container depot, bonded storage and block train handling services — infrastructure that pairs naturally with a Caspian gateway at Aktau, allowing the company to control both ends of the inland Kazakh leg.

Rhenus already operates in other corridor markets, including Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Türkiye, giving it coverage across the full TITR chain from Chinese-facing Central Asia to European gateways via the Caucasus and Black Sea.

For carriers and forwarders, the entry of a large European logistics operator into Caspian terminal capacity signals commercial confidence in Middle Corridor volumes. For the port of Aktau and KTZ, the agreement aligns with Kazakhstan's push to position itself as a transit hub between China and Europe.

The project's trajectory now depends on the cargo flow analysis and feasibility studies, which will determine whether the 150,000 TEU capacity target advances to construction.