China’s port capacity expects 80% growth by end of decade

ALAN PEAT IF CHINA attains the ambitious goals in the ministry of communications’ 11th five-year plan, the handling capacity of the nation’s ports can expect to increase by a massive 80% by the end of the decade. According to the Shipping Gazette, the grandiose plan is to see Shanghai evolving into an international shipping centre at an even faster rate than previously. Large container terminals in Dalian, Tianjin, Qingdao, Xiamen, Shenzhen and Guangzhou are also to be developed. Added to these, 38 berths of over 10 000-tons capacity will be constructed at Jiangsu port this year – and boost the port’s handling capacity by 77-million tons. In 2005, said a report from the Chinese news agency, Xinhua, investment in port development projects nationwide amounted to a staggering R98.7-billion. The result of this was that the total handling capacity of China’s ports rose by 190-m tons. Last year, 10 of the nation’s ports handled more than 100­‑million tons of cargo each. Shanghai alone, Xinhua added, saw 443-m tons of cargo pass through its port last year. The major port city was also third worldwide in terms of container throughput – reaching 18-million twenty foot equivalent units (TEUs) in 2005. It was followed by Shenzhen, with 16.18-m TEU.