Port expansion underway

Coastal development to turn Zhanjiang into international shipping hub, Li Wenfang reports.

After Zhanjiang port hit the 200 million ton throughput mark last year, the city government embarked on a plan to expand the main port and develop ports in surrounding counties to form a chain and better use the extensive coastline.

The main port, which serves the East, Central and western parts of China, became the first in Beibu Bay rim and the third in Guangdong province to reach the 200 million ton milestone and ranked it 13th in the country, according to the city government.

Zhanjiang's coastline stretches 1,243 km. If the 143 nearby islands are taken into account, the coastline totals 2,040 km.

Zhanjiang port serves major ocean-going ships in Southwest and South China and offers one of the shortest routes between the Chinese mainland and Southeast Asia, Africa, Europe and Oceania.

The port area is concentrated in Zhanjiang Bay, which has left the lengthy coastline along the Leizhou Peninsula underdeveloped.

The plan for the port includes 164-km of coastline with 12 port areas that extend 102.7-km outside the bay. In the bay 28-km of coastline has already been developed but only 1 km outside the bay has been used.

The government set a goal to handle 300 million tons of cargo at all the port areas by 2017 and turn the city into a coastal trading center of bulk goods and international shipping and logistics center in South and Southwest China.

Zhanjiang port dealt with 20.77 million tons of imported iron ore worth $2.23 billion last year, up more than 14 per cent year-on-year.

For the development of the main port, work will press ahead for construction of port areas in Xiashan, Baoman and Donghai Island as well as the expansion of the shipping channel from the current 300,000-ton level to a 400,000-ton level.

The port received 95 300,000-ton vessels last year, a 20 percent annual increase. Berths capable of handling 300,000-ton vessels are expected to increase to six or seven by 2020, from the current three.

Efforts will also been made to further open-up the port, to increase the sources of cargo, to upgrade modern port logistics, to multiply international container shipping lines and to build a bulk goods trading center.

Zhanjiang Port Group Co, a major operator at the port, plans to open new container shipping lines to Southeast Asia this year, following the launch of a container line to Singapore last year.

For areas outside the bay, work will be sped up to build Nanshan port in Xuwen, Wushi port in Leizhou, Longtousha port in Lianjiang, Caotan port in Suixi and Wuyang port in Wuchuan.

Nanshan port made its name as a starting point of the ancient Maritime Silk Road. The provincial government designated Wushi as a place for petty trade with Taiwan residents in 2013.

Longtousha port lies in the startup zone of the economic cooperative area between Guangdong and neighboring Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, which is intended to facilitate economic integration.

The government will lead the work in developing these ports, with Zhanjiang Port Group Co as a main party and other investments to be introduced.

In building the ports, Zhanjiang government has attached importance to the development of side industries and industrial parks, which it said would boost the economy in the counties.

Contact the writer at liwenfang@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 03/28/2015 page20)