March 31 - RINA Services has been awarded a contract to provide a design review and third party certification services for a major port and logistics hub development at Turkmenbashi on Turkmenistan's Caspian Sea coast.
The USD1.5 billion Turkmenbashi International Port is being built by Turkish construction company Gap Insaat Yat?r?m ve D?? Ticaret. The project, which is due for completion in 2017, will include four terminals, road and rail links, and a ship repair yard.
RINA noted that a major pipeline is already being built to link Turkmenistan's Galkynysh gas field to Turkmenbashi, and says that the port complex will export oil and gas products and textiles, facilitating trade between Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
RINA ceo Michele Francioni added: "The State Service of Maritime and River Transportation of Turkmenistan intends that the new port will be built from the outset as part of a multimodal network linking road, rail and water transportation in an environmentally-friendly way."
