Qingdao Port was founded in 1882, a super-scale seaport with 113-year history, managed by Qingdao Port (Group) Ltd, one of the 512 key state-owned enterprises. The Port consists of three large areas respectively termed Qingdao Old Port Area, Huangdao Oil Port Area, and Qianwan New Port Area, and the company has about 16,000 employees. The Port now has 15 terminals with 73 berths, including 13 terminals and 49 berths in-operation. The port has 32 berths for ships over 10,000 metric tons deadweight (DWT), including 6 berths for ships of 50,000 DWT, 6 berths for ships of 100,000 DWT, and 2 berths able to accommodate ships over 300,000 DWT. Generally, Qingdao Port is engaged in container, coal, crude oil, iron ore, grain and other kinds of import and export cargo handling services, and international and domestic passenger services. The port trades with more than 450 ports in 130 countries and regions around the world. It is an important international trade port and sea transport hub in Pacific West Coast.
In 2003, Qingdao Port hit a new high in efficiency record with "ten hours finishing a vessel" for any size container ship, which was dubbed the "Zhengchao efficiency;" and created world records with 437.78 container per vessel hour and 82.4 boxes per crane hour. It also made a world record in iron ore unloading of 6,138 tons per hour - the "Sun Bo efficiency." Port throughput increased from over 20 million to 161.65 million in 2004, with an annual net increase of 20 million in 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004, one year ahead arriving the 150 million throughput target in the "Tenth Five Year" plan as revised in 2003 by Qingdao Port. In respect of foreign trade, its throughput will meet the container terminal development goal of 5 million TEUs by 2020 as written in the Qingdao Port General Layout and Schedule approved jointly in 1995 by the Ministry of Transport and Shandong Province Government, ranking the port one of the region’s international shipping center. The port tops the world in iron ore import, and maintains its number one position among China’s coastal ports in crude oil import.
Over the past decade, Qingdao Port has successfully transformed an old port zone and built two new port zones. Port assets have exponentially increased from 500 million RMB to 11.32 billion RMB, a net increase of more than 10 billion RMB of national quality assets. Qingdao Port has the country's largest container terminal, oil and iron ore terminals and a world-class coal terminal, bulk grain loading dock, the largest port EDI Information Center in mainland China, the only port-affiliated national level technology center and the only post-doctoral research workstation. Ships of any size of the world can be accommodated into the port of Qingdao.
Qingdao Port has been stepping up its opening-up both for domestic and foreign business, establishing nearly 20 joint ventures, and seven Fortune 500 companies having their foothold in Qingdao port with a dedicated interest in collaboration and win-win development. July 21, 2003, Qingdao Port Group signed a joint venture project for Qingdao Qianwan Container Terminal, and held a signing ceremony, with British Rail Group - the world's second largest shipping line, COSCO - China's largest shipping company, Maersk Group of Denmark - the world's largest shipping company. Premier Wen Jiabao and British Prime Minister Tony Blair attended the ceremony. The joint venture container terminal project, involving three countries and four commercial giants, was a step forward from the previous two-parties joint venture practice in China coast ports development. The project has led to the introduction of not only capital, but technology, management and container resource, making the Port one of the world's largest and busiest container terminal. January 9, 2004, the Qingdao Qianwan Container Terminal Co. opened for business amidst fanfare. In the first year, it added 25 new shipping lines and had a 28% increase in container volume, drawing Maersk Group to relocate its headquarters to Qingdao from northern China, which marked a new stage in the development of Qingdao Qianwan Container Terminal. In addition, a bulk cement distribution base, jointly developed with Mitsubishi Group – one of the world's top 500 companies, was commissioned; and a ABB Low Voltage Products logistics center was opened in Qingdao, jointly established with Sweden ABB – also one of the world's top 500 companies. Qingdao Port Group also actively engages in strengthening its executive capability, building up a four-layer management: the top decision-making level, the company management level, the grassroots management and the operational level management.
The Port boasts of a high quality pilot team devoted to providing safe, timely and efficient pilotage service. There are 31 pilots with an average service length of more than 20 years.
The Pilot Station is fully capable of guiding the 5th and 6th generation container ships through the waterways into and out of the harbor round the clock. They have had the experience of successfully guiding the sixth generation container ship "Mediterranean Famiya," a ship of 300 meters in length with a cargo of 6750 TEUs. At present, it is the one seaport in China to accommodate the 350,000 DWT super tanker - "Golden Future".
Pilot station location:
It is a circular area centered at the point (36-02-00N, 102-18-16E) with 3CABLE as its radius.
Duty Phone:
Channel VHF9, 24-hour watch.
Tug boats:
At present, Qingdao Port has ten tug boats, including three with 5000 horsepower, one with 4100 horsepower, five with 3200 horsepower and one with 2600 horsepower.
Notes:
1.Compulsory pilotage is mandatory for foreign ships entering and leaving port of Qingdao.
2.In view of the hydrographic condition at Qingdao Port, a 110m length ship with no side thrusters generally needs two tug boats of proper horsepower.
3.The operating time of the tug boats at Qingdao Port consists of actual and additional work time. The tug boat additional work time is specified as 1.5 hours in Qingdao Old Port Area and 2 hours in Huangdao Oil Port Area.
