Posted on August 31, 2026
Alternative trade route
Located on Georgia’s Black Sea coast, Anaklia Deep Sea Port will increase the country’s capacity to handle large container vessels and create additional capacity for dry and bulk cargo. The port will boost the development of the Middle Corridor. This trade route through the Caspian and Black Seas is considered a reliable alternative to the northern route through Russia, or the southern route via the Suez Canal.
Two dredging vessels at work
Jan De Nul’s dredging vessels Tristão da Cunha and Al-Idrisi are deepening the access channel to 17.5 metres, allowing the port to accommodate large Panamax and Post-Panamax vessels. Panamax vessels are designed to fit the maximum dimensions of the original Panama Canal, while Post-Panamax vessels exceed these dimensions. The works also include the construction of a turning basin, giving these large vessels sufficient space to safely manoeuvre within the port.
In a joint venture with local company Prime Concrete, Jan De Nul will also construct a breakwater of 1,380 metres. The structure will protect the port from waves, creating a sheltered area where vessels can safely enter, manoeuvre and berth.
First vessel in 2029
Dredging works will continue until the end of 2026. The construction of the breakwater should be finished by the end of 2027. The first construction phase should be completed by 2029 The port will then have an annual container capacity of at least 600,000 TEUs, short for Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit, a standard measure of the capacity of container ships and ports. A second phase is expected to increase this capacity to at least one million TEUs by 2035.
Tamar Ioseliani, Deputy Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia:“The Government of Georgia has a well-organized and consistent vision and plan for developing the country’s transport system to expand Georgia’s role in international transport and logistics networks. We will ensure that the Anaklia Deep Sea Port receives its first ship in 2029.”
