Port Achieves Record of Freight Containers Shipping Through in Less Than Two Decades

CHINA – When it comes to container handling records one cannot fail to be impressed by the statistic released this week by Yantian International Container Terminals (YICT), a subsidiary of Hutchison Port Holdings (HPH) Trust. Yantian has only been shipping boxes for eighteen and a half years yet has now seen an astonishing 100 million TEU handled by its nineteen terminal berths. Yantian Port has developed from a small fishing village into one of the world’s busiest freight handling facilities.

Just five years ago the Yantian terminal became the world’s first cargo handling facility to manage an annual throughput in excess of 10 million TEU and HPH management say the latest achievement is as a result of the geographical advantages of its natural deep-water berths, its state-of-the-art terminal facilities, efficient clearance procedures, and comprehensive transportation network plus the company’s drive to continually pursue innovation in port development, Customs reforms, multimodal transportation, and technological advances.

YICT argues that it has always taken an environmentally friendly approach to its infrastructure development and day-to-day business operations. It was one of the first Chinese container terminal operators to deploy electric rubber-tyred gantry cranes (eRTGC) and LNG-powered container tractors. At the moment, YICT has 150 eRTGC and 280 LNG tractors.

The drive to attract some of the world’s leading container shipping companies has paid off with every mega-vessel currently in operation (each with a carrying capacity in excess of 10,000 TEU), having called at Yantian. YICT management says the positive attitude of the port has facilitated the growth of Shenzhen’s economy and helped the city achieve the largest export volume of any city in China for 19 consecutive years.and also contributed to the city’s position as an important gateway to South China and a key logistic hub within the Asia-Pacific region.

A celebration ceremony held today to mark this remarkable achievement was attended by approximately 200 guests from various departments of the Shenzhen Municipality; the Yantian District Government; various port authorities; executives from Hutchison Port Holdings, Yantian Port Group, Hutchison Port Holdings Trust and YICT plus shipping lines and cargo owners.