Kaiyang Port gets set to ride river cargo handling peak

Three vessels carrying phosphate ore make their way along the Wujiang River. [Photo provided by Guizhou Shipping and Hydropower Development and Investment Co]

Fourteen cargo vessels, carrying a total of 6,000 metric tons of phosphate ore, recently departed Kaiyang Port – located on the Wujiang River in Guiyang, capital city of Southwest China's Guizhou province – on a freight run to Fuling district in Chongqing municipality.

The journey marked the fourth such run of large-scale river cargo since the opening of Guiyang's north water transportation route to the Yangtze River in November 2021.

The opening of the waterway is expected to play an essential role in boosting Kaiyang's opening-up and accelerating its economic development.

Kaiyang Port is Guizhou's largest port on the Wujiang River and is central Guizhou's only port with access to the sea. As such, it serves 30 districts and counties in seven cities and prefectures.

Several vessels moor at Kaiyang Port, waiting to load their cargo. [Photo provided by Guizhou Shipping and Hydropower Development and Investment Co]

The port is projected to experience a peak in cargo handling in the second half of the year – with newly built boats increasingly being put to use on the Wujiang River waterway – as heavyweight cargo transportation there ramps up.

Freight operator Guizhou Shipping and Hydropower Development and Investment Co is said to have been making concerted efforts in recent years to improve the water transportation capacity on the river, while cutting costs.

Moreover, the number of companies operating water transportation on Wujiang River has increased from three to seven, while more new boats are undergoing construction and will soon start operating.