The second largest port in China for foreign trade, Qingdao, plans to develop Aoshanwan port area into the key component of the Qingdao major international container ports between 2015 to 2020, and a new mega port area, reports Xinhua. Qingdao is estimated to expected to have a throughput of 410 million tonnes with a year-on-year increase of 7.8 per cent, 14.5 million TEU in containers with an 11.4 per cent increase and 287 million tonnes of foreign trade, a 7.4 per cent increase year on year growth at the end of 2012. At the meantime, its Aoshanwan port area is expected to finish building two new 10,000-tonne berths, which will bring the port an extra capacity of 29 million tonnes. The port's full-year investment will reach CNY4.08 billion (US$650)

Qingdao port has achieved 400m tons cargo throughput for 2012 representing an increase of 9.5% year-on-year. The result elevates Qingdao into the top 5 domestic ports in China and the top 10 ports globally. “It is a historic stage that Qingdao port achieved 400m tons cargo throughput. We aims at 10% economical growth next year, and we will enlarge port throughput and further develop container business in 2013.” Chang Dechuan, chairman of Qingdao port group said. Next year, Qingdao port plans to build 9 berths at Dongjiakou port area, with handling capacity of 220m tons. [27/12/12]

Qingdao: Qingdao Port is set to be a major car import terminal in eastern Shandong province, with Qingdao Qianwan Bonded Port Zone gaining approval for whole-car imports, with the opening of an import checkpoint there. The port is now building the ro-ro terminal and auxiliary facilities, and imports are expected to begin in the coming year, according to local news reports.

Maersk million a Qingdao port record The throughput of Maersk Line at Qingdao Port for the first time exceeded one million TEU in a single year, Cargonews Asia reports. This marks a significant milestone in the history of the Port of Qingdao as Maersk Line became the first carrier to hit such a substantial volume in a 12-month period. “Being the eighth biggest port in the world today, Qingdao Port has been growing with an astonishing speed in the recent years,” said Tim Smith, CEO of Maersk Line North Asia.

Qingdao-Dongjiakou aims to be world's largest deepwater port Local media reports highlighted the fact that Qingdao-Dongjiakou port in Shandong province has completed the construction of a 400,000-tonne berth and aims to be the world's largest deep water facility with three major harbour basins with 112 berths on the drawing board, Seatrade Asia online reports.

As SinoShipNews reports, Qingdao port has said its giant 400,000 dwt iron ore terminal located in Dongjiakou will be ready this year. Qingdao has repeatedly been linked with Vale’s VLOCs. Beijing barred the Brazilian miner from establishing a hub in Qingdao for its slew of VLOCs – a move that pushed Vale to open distribution hubs in Malaysia and the Philippines. Thus far, just one Vale-linked VLOC has called in China, at Dalian at the start of the year. Vale is now in discussions about building a third transshipment facility in Asia, at an unspecified location. [01/10/12]

The joint venture project for iron ore terminals at Qingdao’s Dongjiakou port area has been fixed in Hong Kong. Qingdao Port Group, China Merchants, COSCO Pacific and IMC Group have inked an agreement for the development of these terminals. The facilities will include one terminal capable of handling 300,000 dwt bulkers and another capable of handling 200,000 dwt. [16/07/12] sinoshipnews.com/...

Heavy fog lingering for a week in East China's seaport of Qingdao, Shandong province, has disrupted passage on the waterway, stranding more than 200 vessels daily at the port, said the municipal marine affairs bureau on Tuesday, May 15 2012. The bureau launched a marine traffic control operation on Tuesday morning, as the fog reduced visibility to less than 50 meters at the port. It sent alerts to passing vessels to avoid docking in Qingdao because the port can not accommodate any more vessels. The bureau also said one person remains missing after a fishing boat from Liaoning province collided with a Shandong-registered cargo vessel near the port on Friday.

China's largest deepwater port, Dongjiakou Harbour, which is under construction in the eastern coastal city of Qingdao, will cooperate with Shandong Provincial Maritime Affairs Bureau to establish a vessel traffic service (VTS), reports Xinhua. VTS is a marine traffic monitoring system using advanced sensors such as radar, closed-circuit television, and radiotelephony to keep track of vessel movement in a limited geographical area to improve the safety and efficiency of navigation. Despite three radar stations and a VTS centre that have operated in Qingdao Port since 2006, the current service has failed to cover some water areas in and around Dongjiakou Harbour, according to the local authorities. Qingdao Port consists of four areas including Qingdao old port area, Huangdao oil port, Qianwan new port area and the Dongjiakou harbour area. Dongjiakou Harbour covers an area of about 70 square kilometres and is designed for 112 berths with a frontage of 35.7 kilometres. Construction at Dongjiakou Harbour area started in May 2009. The annual capacity of the port is expected to reach more than 310 million tonnes by 2020. Source: www.shippingazett...

NOL Group opened its new terminal at the Port of Qingdao with the arrival of the APL Dubai. Originally expected to open in the second half of 2011, the joint venture container terminal opened for business well ahead of schedule, the Company said Wednesday. NOL, together with SITC International Holdings Company Limited, a PRC-based shipping logistics company, earlier formed a partnership with Qingdao Qianwan United Container Terminal Co., Ltd. (QQCTU) in May 2011 to operate the terminal. Singapore-based NOL said the terminal will primarily serve vessels operated by APL and SITC. The inaugural call at the terminal was made today by the APL Dubai, a 6,574-TEU vessel on APL's West Asia Express service. APL makes more than 200 port calls annually at Qingdao, linking the city and Shandong province, as well as its neighboring provinces to international markets through APL's global shipping network. The terminal has an annual capacity of 1.5 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units).