Dalian Port to double container capacity

Shanghai: Dalian Port Authority chairman Sun Hong has revealed plans to increase its container capacity by 100% in the next eight years. The port, which has seen a 50.5% jump in net profits to $82m in 2006 from the $54m seen the year before, handled 3.15m teu in container volumes last year.

The expansion, to be completed by 2015 would see the port build 18 new container berths on the north bank of the city's Dayaowan bay, increasing its annual container capacity to 20m teu.

The port is already constructing five new berths on the south side in an effort to ease congestion, two of which are expected to be operational next year. The port has already seen a throughput of 780,000 teu for the first three months of this year, which is an increase of 18% on the same period in 2005.  [17/04/07]