China Puts Money on Pearl River

South China's Pearl River cargo volume is expected to rise 10 per cent in 2013 while throughput at its major ports is predicted to rise 12 per cent, according to Ministry of Transportation's Pearl River Administration Navigation office.

Pearl River waterway transport investment increased 21 per cent in 2012 year on year to a record of CNY5.67 billion (US$924 million).

Last year, a 29 new berths were built, bringing with them 130,000 TEU more capacity as well as an increase of 18.83 million tonnes in overall cargo capacity

Forty-one kilometres of a 5,000-tonne navigational channel at the estuary at Yamen county, as well as 1,279 kilometres of other navigation channels, were upgraded, according to Pearl River navigational affairs director Yong Qingzeng.

By January 2013, there were 15,551 kilometres of channels on the Pearl. Second class channels totalled 290 kilometres, third class channels came in at 1,228 kilometres, fourth class at 1,011 kilometres and fifth class at 452 kilometres.

Last year, cargo traffic on the Pearl River grew 17.6 per cent to 539.5 million tonnes. Cargo volume increased 25.8 per cent to 11.94 billion tonnes per kilometre. Passenger volume rose 24.7 per cent to 22.67 million and increased 11.4 per cent to 997.54 million per kilometre.

Source: Xinhua