The Yangshan Deep Water Port – The Biggest Deep Water Port in the World

The Yangshan Deep Water Port is one of the three major constituents of the Shanghai Port, one of the busiest port facilities in the world. Considered as the world’s biggest deep water port, Yangshan is built on the islands of Greater and Lesser Yangshan and is connected to the mainland through the world’s largest sea bridge – Donghai Bridge.

The decision to construct the port was taken at the start of the 21^st century and accordingly the construction was planned to be carried out in four specific stages. The first stage in the construction of the Yangshan Port was completed in the year 2004 following which the port began its commercial operations.

In the 13-years following the initial construction of the port facility, the Yangshan Port has helped the Shanghai Port achieve major milestones in the global panorama of port and harbour facilities.

Presently three stages in the overall constructional project of the port have been completed. The construction of the fourth stage is still ongoing and is expected to be completed in 2015.

Yangshan Deep Water Port: Characteristics and Salient Features

• The port was mainly built to provide docking assistance to vessels with greater depths as a part of the overall infrastructure development of the Shanghai Port

• The Yangshan Deep Water Port has constantly recorded staggering container traffic statistics since its construction, which has further enhanced the scope of operations of the Shanghai Port

• Transportation infrastructure from the nearest province of Zhoushan is aided by way of the Bridge of Donghai, which is said to be the world’s biggest bridge network across a waterline

• The Yangshan Port also boasts of a ‘free trade zone.’ The establishment of the free trade zone is to allow for more generation of maritime traffic and thus broaden its operations

The entire constructional budget of the Yangshan Port is reported to be around US$ 18 billion. Though this cost appears to be exorbitant, it has been regarded that post the completion of the fourth and the last stage of the port’s construction, the increase in the volume of maritime traffic passing through the port facility would garner even more solidity for the Shanghai Port as one of the largest port facilities in the world.

Expectations from the Yangshan Port

Through the planning and resultant construction of the Yangshan Port, the Chinese maritime authorities are looking to expand the nature of operations of the Shanghai Port. With a set target year of 2020, through such maritime expansions, it is expected that Shanghai will further emphasise its dominant presence as one of the world’s leading commercial hubs.