GUANGDONG's Xijiang river port of Zhongshan will build five 5,000-tonnes berths and spend CNY482 million (US$74.6 million) on building Ma'an port area and the phase 3 expansion of Shenwan port area when its plan of developing five port areas is approved by the provincial government.
Xinhua's report said the port is likely to be approved to be open to foreign vessels since expansion.
The five port areas include Zhongshan, Ma'an, Xiaolan, Huangpu and Shenwan. Zhongshan and Ma'an port area will be core of the port and has a bonded logistics centre as well as a truck inspection field. Shenwan, Huangpu and Xiaolan port will have another truck inspection field.
Zhongshan Torch Hi-tech Industrial Development Zone will invest CNY1.25 billion on the dredging of a 10,000-tonne navigation channel and the phase 2 expansion of the Zhongshan port area, building and upgrading 30 kilometres' highway. The port will also invest CNY350 million on building five 1,000-tonne berths in the Huangpu port area, increasing its throughput capacity by 1.9 million tonnes.
Zhongshan port's box volume ranks the 11th among all ports in China with an annual throughput of over two million TEU.