Logistics Week | August 10–17, 2026

2026-08-22

Kazakhstan Plans to Increase BTC Usage as Alternative to Russia-Transiting CPC

Due to operational disruptions at the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC)—which runs through Russia—Kazakhstan intends to utilize the Baku-Supsa and Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipelines. Notably, discussions regarding this move began following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, after Russia created certain difficulties for the CPC pipeline.

Kazakhstan’s state-owned company, KazMunayGas, plans to increase oil exports via the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline by 31% in 2026, aiming for a volume of 1.7 million tons of Kazakh oil transported through this route. According to the company, the volume of Kazakh oil shipped from the port of Aktau toward the BTC pipeline totaled 704,000 tons between January and June 2026.

As of today, the shareholders of the BTC pipeline are: BP (30.10%), SOCAR (32.97%), MOL (8.90%), TPAO (6.53%), Eni (5.00%), TotalEnergies (5.00%), ITOCHU (3.40%), ONGC Videsh (3.10%), ExxonMobil (2.50%), and INPEX (2.50%). bm.ge

Silknet Begins Construction of Tier III Data Center

Construction has officially commenced in Georgia on an internationally certified commercial Tier III data center—a classification representing one of the most widely recognized global standards for data centers. It offers high reliability for businesses, banks, government agencies, and other organizations whose operations depend on uninterrupted digital services.

The data center will provide continuous, 24/7 service to local and international organizations, enabling them to store corporate data in Georgia with the same level of security and reliability found in the world's leading technology nations.

Silknet is developing the data center, while its subsidiary, Silk Cloud—which specializes in cloud and managed IT services—will handle operations. The facility will feature a highly resilient infrastructure with a 2-megawatt capacity, designed to support cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI) workloads, and other corporate services in compliance with international standards. The new center is underpinned by Silknet’s telecommunications infrastructure—an optical network spanning over 4,000 kilometers with international connections to Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Turkey, and—through them—to Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.

The first certified data center will become operational in 2027. The project will play a significant role in the development of Georgia’s digital infrastructure. It will help strengthen the country's position as a regional digital hub and ensure data sovereignty and digital resilience, making Georgia more attractive to international business. bm.ge

Development Plan for the Black Sea Subsea Cable Project

The joint venture for the "Green Energy Corridor" energy company (GECO Power) and the Italian consulting firm CESI held a meeting dedicated to "Workstream 2" together with representatives from the technical and economic working groups of the "Green Energy Corridor" (Black Sea Energy) project. The meeting focused on key activities required to transition the project from the feasibility study stage to the development phase.

The project is being implemented within the framework of the agreement on a "Strategic Partnership in the Field of Green Energy Development and Transmission," signed by Azerbaijan, Georgia, Romania, and Hungary in Bucharest in 2022.

The joint venture for the Caspian Sea–Black Sea–Europe Green Energy Corridor was established based on a Memorandum of Understanding signed by Georgia, Hungary, Romania, and Azerbaijan on July 25, 2023. The Black Sea submarine cable project is a major infrastructure initiative that will directly connect Georgia and Romania, linking the energy systems of the South Caucasus and Southeast Europe.

The cable will span 1,115 km underwater and 40 km overland, featuring a voltage of 525 kV and a capacity of 1,300 megawatts. Completion of the Black Sea submarine power cable is scheduled for 2032.

The project is included in the European Union's list of Projects of Mutual Interest (PMI). The European Commission plans to allocate €2.3 billion for its implementation. europetime.eu

Railway to the Armenian Border

Construction of the railway to the Armenian border will be completed in 2027. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev announced this, while also discussing the "TRIPP" route and noting that the implementation of the new transport corridor project has already begun. bm.ge

Airport Development in Vaziani

"The Vaziani airport in Tbilisi will feature all necessary facilities and the capacity to support market development and the growth of airlines and the aviation sector in general—covering both passenger and cargo transport," stated Peter Wiener, a project manager representing the German consulting firm amd.sigma.

The firm amd.sigma is conducting the airport's feasibility study with the support of the Asian Development Bank. businessinsider.ge

Land-based Electricity Transit Corridor

"Negotiations regarding a land-based electricity transit corridor are currently underway," stated Inga Pkhaladze, Deputy Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development. According to her, the governments of Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey, and Bulgaria are involved in developing this new initiative. "Economically, this is a very important and interesting initiative, as—in addition to transit—we will also export domestically produced electricity. This, in turn, will support local business and ensure a high level of energy sector development in the country," noted Inga Pkhaladze. commersant.ge

"APM Terminals Poti" on cargo growth

In the first seven months of 2026, a total of 404,760 TEUs were handled at "APM Terminals Poti," representing a 7% increase compared to the same period in 2025.

The highest container volume of the year was recorded in July, at 65,759 TEUs. The previous record had been set in May (64,952 TEUs).

July also stood out for the high number of container vessels; the port received 42 such ships. In total, "APM Terminals Poti" handled 253 container vessels over the seven-month period, a figure significantly higher than that of the same period last year (210 vessels).

The volume of general cargo is also showing significant growth. Over a seven-month period, 270,446 tons of general cargo were handled at the port, representing an impressive 60% increase compared to the previous year.

Furthermore, strong momentum is being maintained in ferry shipments. Since the beginning of the year, the volume of cargo received via ferry vessels has reached 127,163 tons. For comparison, the figure for the same period last year was 97,761 tons. bm.ge

Middle Corridor

To foster infrastructure development, the European Union, in collaboration with international financial institutions, plans to mobilize approximately €2 billion for the Black Sea region and the South Caucasus. Projects implemented at the Kazakh ports of Aktau and Kuryk have increased their combined annual throughput capacity to 21.6 million tons. Concurrently, Azerbaijan and Georgia are working to expand the capacity of the Port of Baku and the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, a move intended to facilitate cargo transport toward Turkish and European markets. traceca.ge

 

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