The shipping platform

Location: Caofeidian is situated on an island of the same name, in the W of Bohai Bay, approx 80km S of Tangshan and approx 70km E of Tianjin. General overview: The port of Caofeidian is under construction and is planned to be fully operational by 2010. It is initially expected to have an annual capacity of 50,000,000t of coal, but will eventually reach 200,000,000t. A new railway connecting Caofeidian to the Datong-Qinhuangdao railway line is being constructed. The overall development and construction is being carried out in two phases, with the main projects including: four 250,000DWT mineral terminals, two 300,000DWT crude oil terminals, sixteen 50,000-10,000DWT coal terminals, and one 100,000DWT LNG (liquefied natural gas) terminal. The 250,000DWT mineral port, in the Caofeidian Industrial Zone and with an annual unloading capacity of 30,000,000t, opened for operation in 2005. Max. Size: Bulk: 300,000 DWT, depth 25.0 m. Crude: 300,000 DWT, depth 24.0 m Gas: 270,000 cu.m., depth 15.0 m. Largest Vessel: Berge Everest 388.134 DWT, LOA 360 m., breadth 65 m. Fuel: Available Airport: Tangshan Domestic, 120 km. Tianjin Int'l, 140 km. Beijing Int'l, 230 km. Medical: Facilities available. Caofeidian Port Group has been renamed as part of the Hebei Port Group, combining with the ports of Qinhuangdao and Huangye to become one of the world's largest bulk cargo port organizations in terms of throughput. Load line zone: Summer. Max size: 300,000DWT