[photopress:logistics_Yangshan_port.jpg,full,alignright]Shanghai’s Yangshan port is currently in the splendid position where any new additional capacity that becomes available is immediately fully booked by shipping lines days in advance.
Y. S. Gong, general manager, operations, OOCL (China), said Yangshan port was much more easily accessible because it was a deep-water port unlike Waigaoqiao’s facilities that were subject to tide conditions.
Gong added: ‘Furthermore, Yangshan port’s container handling cost is 10% cheaper than Waigaoqiao’s, although there is an additional trucking cost of about $72 per 20-foot container for transportation of the container from the city to Yangshan.’
Yangshan port is also more convenient as vessels can move in and out of the port within 24 hours.
A Waigaoqiao port official said all berths in Yangshan’s Phase 3A, which opened without any fuss on December 10 last year, have been already booked out.
He said, ‘Under Phase 3A, four berths with a length of 1,350m were constructed and they have an alongside water depth of 22m, which means they can accommodate vessels of 10,000 TEU plus.’ Where the letters TEU stand for a container.
Yangshan port’s Phase 1 and Phase 2 projects have five and four berths respectively with an alongside depth of 15m so they take smaller vessels. Still massive but slightly smaller.
Shanghai International Port Group, Singapore’s PSA International, China Shipping and French shipping giant CMA CGM have invested in Phase 3A.
Now 3B is open for bidding and it seems unlikely that anything will stop it getting it into operation sometime before the very end of the year.
Several port operators as well as carriers have expressed an interest in the project.
Last year, Shanghai port handled 26.15 million containers — TEU — which is up 20.4% year-on-year, and overtook Hong Kong to become the No. 2 port in the world after Singapore.
This year, the port expects to match Singapore and just possibly overtake it. To read much more on the subject click HERE.
Source: CargoNews Asia