The South Korean port of Mokpo has begun building a steel-handling pier to cater to growing steel cargoes.
Construction has begun on a pier that could handle an additional 1 million tonnes of steel a year.
The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said that in the last three years, steel cargo volumes in Mokpo have been rising by an annual average of 26%.
In 2014, Mokpo handled 5.718 million tonnes of steel. That is more than twice the port’s annual capacity of 2.867 million tonnes, hence, the urgency to raise Mokpo’s steel-handling capacity.
Construction of the pier, which has a 210 m quay length and 130 m of shore protection, would cost KRW30.6 billion (USD26.2 million). A land area of 35,800 m² would be developed for the pier.
The ministry said it is hoped that when the pier is completed in 2018, Mokpo’s steel-handling capacity would go up to 3.867 million tonnes, and with support from Daebul Industrial Complex, the production of shipbuilding equipment and ship blocks, smoother handling of steel cargoes is anticipated.
This post was sourced from IHS Maritime 360: View the original article here.
