Guangzhou has received the go-ahead to begin construction on a
big ship-production base that could help advance the southern
metropolis' status as a major Chinese ship producer.
The first phase of Longxue Ship Production Base, formally
approved by the National Development and Reform Commission early
this week, includes the construction of two dry docks, each of
which are equipped to build a 308,000-ton ocean-going tanker. These
oil carriers will measure up to 330 m.
The project, which will cost more than 6.2 billion yuan, is
expected to be operational by 2009, according to Guangzhou-based
New Express Daily.
It will be the largest ship production base in Guangdong.
Located on Longxue Island at the mouth of the Pearl River, the
new facility is designed to be able to build 12 ocean-going
container vessels and another 12 ocean-going oil carriers annually.
The project covers an area of 556.5 hectares, with a coastline of
more than 4,500 m.
The facility will be able to produce vessels weighing more than
300,000 tons, and officials expect it to rake in some 8 billion
yuan annually.
With the completion of the project, Guangdong's ship-building
capacity will reach 3 million tons in 2010 and more than 4 million
tons in 2015.
Currently, Guangzhou Shipyard International Co Ltd, Wenchong
Shipyard and Huangpu Shipyard, Guangdong's three major shipyards,
have the capacity to produce up to 800,000 tons of ships a year.
None on them presently have the capacity to build a single vessel
of more than 60,000 tons.
(China Daily September 21, 2007)
