Makhachkala Sea Commercial Port in Russia’s Dagestan Republic is pursuing plans to increase its annual capacity to 11 million tonnes, supported by a 100-hectare dry port and a 6.2-kilometre access road.
Makhachkala City Assembly Chairman Khibi Aliyev outlined planned capacities of 7.9 million tonnes of liquid cargo and 3.1 million tonnes of dry cargo.
The port had previously announced the same capacity target and cargo split in April 2025.
The port handled 3.22 million tonnes in 2025, up 12.7 per cent year on year, and 2.1 million tonnes in the first half of 2026, according to the figures presented by Aliyev.
The port subsequently reported throughput of more than 2.9 million tonnes for the first eight months of 2026, up 42.5 per cent year-on-year. Oil accounted for more than 2.08 million tonnes, an increase of 49.8 per cent.
The programme also includes a new sea border crossing with contact-free cargo-scanning systems. This portion is scheduled to enter service in 2027.
General director Dzhamal Aliyev told RBC Caucasus in May that the dry port was intended to ease pressure on the seaport’s waterside, shoreline, and storage facilities and speed up the handling of transit containers and other cargo. He put terminal utilisation at 30 to 40 per cent of design capacity.
The planned facilities will serve cargo moving between Iran, India, the Persian Gulf region, Russia, and neighbouring markets. Aliyev said regional and federal companies have expressed interest in the project.