Rizhao Port [Photo/IC]

Rizhao, a coastal city in East China's Shandong province, is transforming the local port economy into a core driver for its high-quality development.

As a flourishing port city, Rizhao is serving as a national logistics hub integrating port, aviation, expressways, high-speed railway, and heavy-haul railways. Rizhao Port, founded in 1982, has been playing a major role in promoting the city's development.

Rizhao Port has opened cargo routes connecting more than 500 ports in over 100 countries. It currently has developed into a modern international port with its annual throughput ranking sixth in China and ninth in the world, respectively.

Over the years, Rizhao has given full play to the logistics advantages brought about by the port and has vigorously developed a port economy, according to Zhang Hui, Party secretary of Rizhao.

Industries such as steel, automobile and parts and marine engineering equipment have developed rapidly thanks to the port in recent years. The output value of port industries above designated size currently accounts for 80 percent of the city’s total industrial output value above designated size.

Rizhao has made efforts to build a land-sea linkage transition hub in the Yellow River Basin, promoting Rizhao to better serve China's new pattern of development.

The city made full use of its port advantages in transportation, location and industries to actively serve the country's demand of energy. It has built four 300,000-metric ton crude oil terminals and one 100,000-ton crude oil terminal. From January to September, Rizhao Port completed projects with a total investment of 4.35 billion yuan ($617.3 million).

Furthermore, the Rizhao government is helping the port promote its green transition, as the report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China stressed the need to "fully and faithfully apply a new philosophy of innovative, coordinated, green, open and shared development on all fronts".

A world's first fully automated container terminal has been built at Shijiu Port Area at Rizhao Port, which has reduced the comprehensive energy consumption per container by 50 percent. The environmental, green and smart facilities at Rizhao Port have been improved, making the port more ecofriendly and also benefiting surrounding residents.

The local government has also invested heavily in enhancing the protection of the marine environment and transforming the original coal operation area into a sightseeing belt along the coastline.