The port of Quanzhou officially enters into the era of ‘Large Ships and Large Ports’, according to Cosco's release. On February 15 th, the opening ceremony of the new berths and new routes was held at COSCO SHIPPING Ports Quan Zhou Pacific Terminal (CSP Quanzhou Terminal), according to COSCO's release.
The berths number 5 and 6 in the Shihu Area of Quanzhou Port were constructed by CSP Quanzhou Terminal and includes two container berths that can handle vessels of up to 100,000 tons, and associated infrastructure such as container yards, and is an important construction project of Fujian Province. The concepts of ‘Smart Ports’ and ‘Green and Low Carbon Development’ were integrated into the design and construction process.
At the opening ceremony, 5 unmanned automated trucks participated in the loading and unloading of the ships. The automated trucks rely on proprietary self-driving technology and can achieve instant communication and seamless connection with the terminal’s control centre, allowing for completely unmanned automated operations during all times within the port area. The new berths are also equipped with shore power systems, which are already available at all berths in the Shihu Port Area, to reflect COSCO SHIPPING Group’s low carbon development strategy and support for China’s carbon emission goals.
Currently, only Phase 1 of the Project has begun operations. When the entire project is completed, the throughput capacity of the Shihu Area of Quanzhou Port will be increased by 40% to 3 million TEU per year.
COSCO SHIPPING Group has operated Quanzhou Shihu Port as a subsidiary terminal since 2006, and Shihu Port is now connected to major ports in China. There are also direct routes to nearby ‘Belt and Road’ countries such as the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand and Japan.
2023 coincides with the 10th anniversary of the ‘Belt and Road Initiative’.