Two 100,000-dwt container berths (Phase 3) costing more than 2.6 billion yuan ($376 million) will be built between the southern and northern harbor basins of Gaolan Port Nanshui Operation Zone to meet surging cargo throughput, Zhuhai Port Holdings Group announced on May 17.

Gaolan is a major unit of Zhuhai Port. It processes large bulk cargoes such as oil, gas and chemicals, ore and coal, as well as containers and sundry goods. It also engages in the harbor industry and modern logistics.

Container throughput in Zhuhai increased from 655,000 to 2.3 million TEUs from 2008 to 2018, an annualized growth rate of 13.4 percent. 

Containers up at Gaolan Port [Photo by Kang Zhenhua / Zhuhai Daily]

As of late 2018, Zhuhai had 26 multi-purpose and four container berths, which were respectively designed to process 1.13 million and 860,000 TEUs annually. The yearly container throughput, however, exceeded designed processing capability by 318,000 TEUs last year.

According to a feasibility report on the project, container throughput of Zhuhai Port will reach 5 million TEUs by 2025 and 8 million by 2030.

The second phase of the Gaolan Port Terminal, with a designed annual processing capability of 1.8 million TEUs, will be completed by the end of the year. By then, Zhuhai Port will be able to process 3.79 million TEUs annually, which would not meet demand.

Construction on the third phase will span 30 months. The hydraulic structure will allow berths to accommodate fully loaded 150,000-dwt container ships. Upon completion, it will capable of handling 1.6 million TEUs annually.