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Containers stacked at Jiaxing Port. [Photo/WeChat account: jxfabu]

Jiaxing in East China's Zhejiang province aims to grow into a hub of sea-river combined transportation in the Yangtze River Delta during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25), according to the recently released five-year plan for Jiaxing's water transport.

Located in the core area of YRD, Jiaxing boasts unique geographical advantages and broad development prospects.

During the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-20), Jiaxing invested 15.7 billion yuan ($2.46 billion) in water transport, 1.2 times more than the amount during the previous five years.

Jiaxing established seven coastal ports and 19 coastal berths from 2016 to 2020. As of 2020, the city housed 50 coastal berths, including 37 10,000-metric tons or above berths, and 806 inland berths, with a combined throughput capacity of 122 million tons.

The plan states that Jiaxing will invest 22 billion yuan ($3.44 billion) in water transport from 2021 to 2025, and that an inland water transport system revolving around containers, bulk cargo, as well as passenger delivery will form in the city.

The city will establish 25 500-ton or above berths, including eight 10,000-ton or above berths, during this period, bringing the total number of 10,000-ton or above berths to 45.

The annual cargo throughput of inland ports in Jiaxing will reach 150 million tons, their annual container throughput will amount to 500,000 twenty-foot equivalent units, and these inland ports are expected to deliver 4 million passengers per year by the end of 2025.

The annual cargo throughput of coastal ports in the city will total 150 million tons and their annual container throughput will reach 3.5 million TEUs.

Jiaxing will also employ new-generation information technology to digitalize the working procedure of large-scale mechanical equipment at ports and monitor pollutants from berthed ships. It will also promote the construction of shore power facilities at ports.