China's Dongjiakou Port plans to build two additional port terminals to handle Vale's growing fleet of mega iron ore carriers, the world's largest dry bulk ships, a port official told Reuters.

    Dongjiakou Port, along with ports in Majishan and Dalian, is among the few Chinese ports that will be able to receive the Brazilian miner's huge dry bulk ships, also known as Valemaxes.

    Dongjiakou Port has already started trial operations at its existing terminal, which received government approval in May.
"We have received around 40-50 small carriers already, including one 300,000-tonne vessel that was not fully loaded," said the official, who wished not to be named because he was not authorised to speak to the media.

    "But we still have some technical problems to resolve before we can receive the Valemaxes."

    The timeline for the two additional facilities, which will be able to handle ships as large as 388,000-tonnes, was uncertain as they must still receive government approval and one terminal remained under study, the official said.

    Earlier this week, an official with the National Development and Reform Commission, China's planning agency, said domestic ports were not yet ready to receive Vale's mega carriers due to a few "small issues".

    The Brazilian mining firm has received at least six of the huge ships this year, according to Reuters Freight Views, sending them to Italy and Oman as it awaits the lifting of travel restrictions to its biggest market, China.

    Among the issues still unresolved is how the ships will be safely guided into the ports.

    The Dongjiakou port, which aims to be an international commodities and energy distribution centre, also plans to build two 450,000-tonne oil terminals in the near future.
 

source:www.seatrade-asia.com