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Joon San

Wong Joon San

Shenzhen Chiwan Kaifeng Terminal's (KFT) third container berth - Berth 11 - began operations last week.

KFT executive deputy general manager Michael Zhou Jian said the new berth, which increased KFT's capacity to 1.2 million teu (20 ft equivalent units), had installed two more quay cranes, making a total of eight.

'The cranes have an outreach of 56 metres each,' Mr Zhou said.

KFT, one of the three main facilities grouped under Shenzhen port, is targeting 500,000 teu this year. The other two main ports are Shekou and Yantian.

The terminal-opening ceremony was held last Wednesday, with officials including representatives from the Department of Water-borne Transport Administration of the Ministry of Communications, Shenzhen municipal government, Port of Shenzhen Authority and KFT chairman Fu Yuning.

Mr Zhou said the terminal had throughput of 380,000 teu between January and October, a 37 per cent rise on last year.

The main growth was recorded from China Shipping Group's European services and an increase in market share by Mediterranean Shipping and CMA-CGM.

Mr Zhou said the terminal expected throughput of 750,000 teu next year while Shenzhen port as a whole was forecast to handle 5.2 million teu.

He said future development of container berths would depend on volume growth, adding that the Tonggu Channel project would be launched next month.

The project, to be finished in three years, will allow port access for most container vessels in all weather. Presently, the larger vessels can call at western Shenzhen through the narrow Mawan Channel. Even then big ships can move only with the high tide.

Mr Zhou said the shipping lines would save costs by using the Tonggu Channel instead of the Mawan alternative. It also would cut sailing time by four to five hours for westbound vessels.

Proposals to dredge the Tonggu Channel have taken many years to finalise because agreement could not be reached between Hong Kong and Shenzhen authorities on cost-sharing.

Mr Zhou said KFT would co-operate with Nanshan Group to develop logistics services for clients.

In March, KFT established the Pearl River Delta Logistics Network with Sinotrans Guangdong.

The network covers seven ports in five regions in the Pearl River area, offering daily services between KFT and Guangzhou, Shunde, Huangpu, Foshan, Jiangmen and Zhongshan.

China Shipping Line's barge network, Universal Shipping, also makes regular calls at KFT.

Mr Zhou said about 10 per cent of KFT's throughput was taken by barge to Hong Kong for transshipment.

He said that while KFT's terminal-handling rates had increased steadily in line with operating costs, they remained competitive in the Shenzhen market.



KFT opens third container berth at Shenzhen port