The Taizhou International Container Terminal – located in the Taizhou Medical High-tech Zone in Taizhou city, in East China's Jiangsu province – is set to obtain qualifications for transporting nine categories of dangerous goods containers.
This strategic move is expected to optimize logistics for local businesses, eliminating the need for detours and potentially saving an estimated 18 million yuan ($2.5 million) annually in logistics costs.
The initiative is attributed to the proactive efforts of the Taizhou Municipal Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, which played a pivotal role in promoting and facilitating the operations expansion.
The decision to grant qualifications for handling dangerous goods containers responds to the increasing demand from local enterprises, including Shenghong Group, Great Wall Motors Group and GEM Co Ltd.
They're said to have significantly contributed to the local economy's growth, resulting in a rising need for transporting dangerous materials like cobalt dioxide, lithium batteries and dry ice.
Recent data indicated that the estimated annual throughput of these nine categories of dangerous goods within Taizhou city stands at 12,000 containers.
To expedite the dangerous goods qualification review, a coordination meeting involving leaders from various departments – including the environment, construction, health and transportation departments – was held in September 2023.
During the meeting, consensus was reached and a commitment was made to accelerate the process.
Key procedural steps – including an environmental impact assessment, fire safety checks, occupational health evaluations and safety status assessments – are currently underway.
It's expected that the qualification process will be completed in the first quarter of the year.