The SOCAR Terminal, the largest integrated container port in the Aegean Sea, was founded on the 22nd of November 2010 to boost direct shipping between East and North Europe. A total of USD 400 million was invested in this project. The terminal exploitation was implemented in two phases. On the 6th of December 2016, the terminal, with a capacity of 800,000 TEU, was put into operation, (1 TEU is equivalent to a standard container 6.1 m long and 2.44 m wide).
In October 2017, after less than a year, the terminal served 110 ships carrying giant containers. In September 2018, after the completion of the second phase of the project, the terminal began operating at full capacity (1.5 million TEU). The terminal has significantly reduced logistics costs and time in Türkiye’s foreign trade. On the 27th of December 2018, SOCAR bought all the shares of the terminal from APM Terminals.
The terminal can now serve giant container vessels with a capacity of 18,000 TEUs. The terminal has 42 hectares of storage space for containers, as well as 6 hectares of logistics space for their maintenance. In addition, a general cargo shipyard 150 m long and 10 m deep is located in the terminal area. The length of the container dock is 700 m. SOCAR Terminal, which receives cargo ships from the Far East, makes it possible to trade in Northern Europe without using the ports of Pyrenees, Malta and the Suez Channel. This has made it the only port in the Aegean region that can accept direct shipping.