With increasing handling capacity and better exports in Shenzhen, Chiwan Container Terminal recorded a year-on-year 80 per cent rise in cargo throughput in the first 11 months of this year. The terminal, invested by China Merchants, handled 1.02 million teu (20 ft equivalent units) from January to last month, compared with 564,405 teu last year, the Shenzhen Port Bureau said. A Chiwan spokesman said the company operated five more routes this year, about a third more than last year. A new berth also has been in operation since November last year, pumping up the terminal's handling capacity. He said the terminal was adding more facilities to further enhance the capacity of its berths. It is taking delivery of two quayside gantry cranes next week. 'Compared with regional terminals, the capacity of our berths is not maximised . . . We can pump up our capacity by increasing more facilities,' he said. Container throughput in the Shenzhen area jumped 49.23 per cent to 6.9 million teu in the first 11 months of this year. The spokesman expected exports growth of both Shenzhen and Chiwan to stabilise next year. 'We think exports growth in Shenzhen will be about 20 per cent next year. We expect our cargo throughput will reach 1.4 million teu,' he said. Chiwan is the second-largest terminal in Shenzhen, after Hutchison Whampoa's Yantian, which handled 3.8 million teu in the first 11 months of this year. Cargo throughput at Shekou Container Terminal rose a year-on-year 11.4 per cent to 789,600 teu during the same period. Graphic: shen06gbz
