Caofeidian Port is now earning a growing reputation as one of China's key coal transfer ports by accelerating construction and upgrading of relevant facilities, industry sources said.
Facility construction or expansion projects to boost the port's coal handling capacities are well under way, which will win itself a bigger market share and even worse will potentially threaten Qinhuangdao Port's role as China's largest coal-handling hub.
Coal shipment from Qinhuangdao Port is expected to reach 230 million tonnes this year, but its coal handling capacities possibly won't increase in the years to come due to fiercer market competition and environmental concerns. The annual coal throughput will likely stay around 200 million tonnes.
Caofeidian coal terminal project has begun construction in August 2006, which includes ten 50,000-150,000-tonnage coal berths with a total annual handling capacity of 100 million tonnes.
In Phase I project, five coal berths will be built with the designed annual capacity of 50 million tonnes.
Caofeidian coal terminal is an import coal-transportation passage for Datong-Qinhuangdao railway and will also help secure coal supplies to coastal areas.