The blueprint for Nanchong port has recently been approved by Sichuan provincial government, the provincial transport authorities announced on 24 May. The blueprint for Guangyuan port will be submitted in the near future, while the blueprint for Guangan port has just concluded the design stage.

The announcement marks the beginning of a new round of construction aimed at developing a cluster of ports in the eastern part of the province, provincial transport officials said.

Nanchong port reported a throughput of 5.53m tons in 2009, the third highest in the province. According to the blueprint, the port will develop five terminals with 75 berths, eight of which will be dedicated container berths. Annual cargo-handling capacity is expected to reach 12m tons by 2020 and 16.6m tons by 2030. Out of this total, container-handling capacity is expected to reach 200,000 TEU by 2020 and 500,000 TEU by 2030. Nanchong, Guangyuan and Guang’an ports, all located on tributaries of the Yangtze, will connect to the Yangtze trunkline and extend the river’s reach as far as Xinjiang, Gansu, Shanxi, Qinghai and other parts of the interior.