Anhui provincial port authority has vowed to double the water level of the Yangtze River within its territory to 10 metres. The decision was taken at a gathering of transport officials along the Yangtze held in Hefei, capital of Anhui province, on 25 June. At the meeting, all the local governments signed an agreement with the Ministry of Transport to work together on a new round of investment in the Yangtze, and the modernisation of the waterway, the ports and the vessels.

The ministry is working on a major dredging project to make the shipping channel 10 metres deep up to Nanjing by 2012. From there, the Yangtze cuts through Anhui province and major port cities such as Anqing, Chizhou, Tongling, Maanshan and Wuhu. The provincial government has planned to invest in a series of dredging projects that will double the water level from the current five metres. It is not clear yet when the target will be achieved. Upon completion, however, 30,000 dwt ocean-going vessels could reach Tongling all year round and 50,000 dwt ocean-going vessels on high tide. At the current guaranteed water level of five metres, only 5,000 dwt vessels can reach Tongling.

Typically, an increment of one metre in water level allows the passing of an extra 1,000 teu, thereby reducing transport cost significantly for shippers.