Section opening boosts port capacity

A new section of the Yangshan Deep Water Port moved into full operation yesterday after it was qualified by the national transport authority.

The first section of Phase III, or Phase III-A, with a 1.35-kilometer-long dock area, was opened for preparatory operation in June.

The section costs 8.1 billion yuan (US$1.18 billion) and has four 7-15 tonnage container berths with a capacity of 2.8 million 20-foot-equivalent units (TEUs).

The section facility has already handled 2.12 million TEUs in the first 10 months of this year in testing operations, said the port authority.

The transport authority said the Yangshan Deep Water Port was expected to handle a turnover of 8.5 million TEUs with its current facilities in service, including Phase I, II and the first section of Phase III. This means nearly one-third of the city's forecast full-year ocean container transport would be completed by Yangshan Port.

With the first section of Phase III in full service, the Yangshan Port would be able to offer 13 deep-water berths and a berth line of about 4.35 kilometers.

Phase III-B, as the last section of the ongoing northern development project of Yangshan Port, is scheduled to be operational in December, according to city transport officials.

The local government has also made plans for a new construction on the project's western section, which would gradually be put into use from 2010 through 2013.

The Yangshan Port centers around two islands and is connected to Shanghai by Donghai Bridge across the East China Sea.