China’s Lianyungang Port Group, the largest operator of the port of Lianyungang, showed confidence that it would be granted permission by China’s Ministry of Transport (MOT) to be docked by 400,000 dwt class ore carriers, or Valemaxes, in about two years.
Lianyungang Port Group will secure the MOT’s approval after it completes the expansion of a channel to 300,000 dwt class from the existing 250,000 dwt class, Zhu Xiangyang, president of Lianyungang Port Group, told IHS Maritime on the sidelines of the Maritime Silk Road Port International Cooperation Forum in Ningbo, China on 10 July.
The channel expansion had won green light from the MOT and was expected to kick off within the second half in 2015, Zhu said. It would take two years to complete the expansion project, he added.
In addition, Lianyungang Port Group has started blending of iron ores imported from Vale in the customs bonded area at the port of Lianyungang, Zhu said.
In late June, a total of five ore terminals in China were allowed by MOT to accommodate 400,000 dwt class ore carriers. The port of Lianyungang was excluded from the list without any reasons being cited, although Valemaxes have docked there as early as in April 2013.
This post was sourced from IHS Maritime 360: View the original article here.
