Five departments deploy to accelerate the reconstruction and expansion of coastal and inland port terminals

Recently, the Ministry of Transport, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, and the Ministry of Water Resources jointly issued the Circular on Accelerating the Reconstruction and Expansion of Coastal and Inland Port Terminals (hereinafter referred to as the Circular) to promote the high-quality development of ports and the economical and intensive use of resources. According to the Circular, China will accelerate the reconstruction and expansion of port terminals, clarify relevant support policies, and ensure that reconstruction and expansion are advanced simultaneously with new construction.

The Circular clearly states that the focus should be on advancing four types of projects, namely upgrading the dock grade, specialized reconstruction and cargo type adjustment, release of reserved hydraulic structure capacity, and automation and intelligent transformation. Meanwhile, port enterprises are encouraged to update and renovate the collection and distribution system facilities and equipment, upgrade supporting facilities such as stacking yards and transfer warehouses, and enhance the transshipment, unloading, and collection and distribution capacity for bulk commodities like grain. They are also encouraged to improve the level of green technology and processes, prioritize the use of clean energy and renewable energy, accelerate the construction or renovation of facilities for shore power, oil and gas recovery, and dust suppression for both closed and semi-closed systems in accordance with laws and regulations, promote synergy in energy conservation, pollution reduction, and carbon emissions reduction, and continuously improve production efficiency as well as safety and environmental protection standards.

The Circular rationalizes the procedures for reconstruction and expansion of port terminals and proposes measures to accelerate project approval, optimize engineering design review, and actively promote project implementation. These include expediting the approval, authorization, or filing process, specifying cases where the preliminary design and construction drawing design can be merged and where the approval process for reserved hydraulic structures of port terminals does not need to be re-applied for design approval, and specific measures for strengthening guidance on engineering construction and acceptance.

The Circular also strengthens policy support and guarantees of factors of production for port terminals reconstruction and expansion. It is proposed to strengthen guarantee for the utilization of land and sea, enhance environmental impact assessment approval policies, accelerate water and soil conservation and flood assessment approval policies, expedite navigation assessment review policies, and strengthening financial support. Specific measures include expediting the approval process or incorporating projects into a green channel, reasonably defining approval categories, highlighting key areas for review, and optimizing the approval process.

To coordinate and ensure the smooth implementation of port terminals reconstruction and expansion, the Circular outlines measures in strengthening organizational leadership, enhancing supervision and management, and increasing publicity and guidance.