THE river port of Liuzhou is expanding its capacity to 15 million tones by 2015 to seize opportunities presented by Beijing's plan to develop the Xijiang River in southwestern China, reports Xinhua.

By 2015, the port's Zhegujiang port area will have nine berths with a five million tonne capacity, while Luzhaijiang port area will have six berths with an aggregate capacity of 2.55 million tonnes.

 Estimates show that the upgraded port facilities at Liuzhou will bring more than CNY1 billion (US$163.4 million) to the city by helping to save local manufacturers money and increase their output.

Liuzhou city has accelerated its waterway traffic development since 2009. It has worked out plans for five new port areas, having completed dredging of the 500 tonnes navigational channel on the Liujiang River in 2011.

In 2012, the first phase of Yanghe port area and the #1 and #4 berth at the Zhegujiang port area were finished, bringing 3.6 million tonnes' capacity to the port.

This year, Liuzhou broke ground for the first phase of Guantang port area and started the dredging for the Liujiang second class navigational channel. In the early half of year, the city already made CNY170 million's investment on waterway infrastructures, representing 68.85 per cent of its yearly investment target.

Yanghe port area's first phase project has been finished and become operational. The second phase of the port area will build six 1,000-tonne berths with a capacity of 1.9 million tonnes.

Guantang port area's first phase will start in October, which is comprised of five 2,000 tonnes and will entail an investment of CNY1.3 billion.

Construction of Zhegujiang port area's four new 1,000-tonne berths has started, which costs CNY198.64 million. The dredging of Liujiang River's section from Liuzhou to Shilongsan River Estuary also has started, which is 172.8 kilometres long.