On the afternoon of January 28, the second bid section of the Phase IV project of the Shatian Port Area of Dongguan Port, constructed by the Second Company of CCCC Fourth Harbor Engineering Co., Ltd., officially broke ground at Xidatan in Shatian Town. This supporting project, with a total investment of approximately 273 million yuan, is scheduled for completion in 433 days and will serve as an important guarantee supporting Dongguan Port's achievement of an annual throughput capacity of 6 million TEUs. In the future, a fully functional port logistics base will rise here.

Project fully launched, pile foundation and earthwork construction advancing in parallel

The Phase IV project of the Shatian Port Area of Dongguan Port is located along the shoreline of Xidatan in Shatian Town. The overall plan includes the construction of two 70,000-ton-class and one 30,000-ton-class container berths, with a designed annual throughput of 1.39 million TEU in the near term and up to 1.8 million TEU in the long term. The project is equipped with automated double-cantilever rail-mounted gantry cranes and automated ship-to-shore quay cranes, making it the first automated terminal at Dongguan Port. As an important support for port operations, the second contract section mainly undertakes the construction of rear supporting facilities, with a total investment of approximately 273 million yuan and a planned construction period of 433 calendar days.

It is understood that the construction content of the second bid section covers more than ten individual works, including Office Support Building No. 1, Office and Dormitory Building No. 2, Basement No. 3, Maintenance Workshop and Tool and Material Warehouse No. 4, Oily Wastewater Treatment Station No. 5, Warehouse No. 9, Gate Office and Seafarer Housing No. 10, Switching Stations No. 11 and No. 12, Weighbridge House No. 13, and Gate and Guardhouse No. 14, with a total floor area of approximately 44,500 square meters. Among them, the largest individual building has a floor area of 28,000 square meters, with a maximum of 9 stories above ground and 1 basement level, and a building height of approximately 39.7 meters. Once completed, it will form a fully functional and rationally laid-out port logistics support system.

"From office and accommodation to maintenance support, from environmental protection to material management, every link bears on the overall operational efficiency of the port. We want to build this into a port logistics complex that is both practical and modern," said Dou Yousan, Party Secretary of the project of the Second Company of CCCC Fourth Harbor Engineering, pointing at the schematic diagram of the construction site. At present, site leveling has basically been completed, the pile foundation works have taken the lead in starting, and construction personnel are carrying out pile welding and preparatory work, laying the foundation for subsequent main structure construction.

After the pile foundation work is completed, earthwork excavation will soon begin, with an estimated total excavation volume of about 50,000 cubic meters. Foundation pit excavation will adopt the method of large-scale mechanical excavation combined with manual bottom cleaning, with plans to deploy four hydraulic backhoe excavators, advancing in layers and in a retreating manner from south to north. During construction, the process requirement of "manual bottom cleaning of the 300 mm protective layer during excavation" will be strictly implemented, slope-laying and shotcrete-anchor support will be adopted, and the procedure of "shotcreting and supporting while excavating" will be followed to ensure foundation pit safety and construction efficiency.

Improving the port's functional system and boosting high-quality regional economic development

The construction of the second bid section goes far beyond the completion of a batch of buildings; it is a key step for Dongguan Port to enhance its overall operational capacity, adapt to the trend of larger vessels, and build a modern port management system.

First, the project will directly enhance the port's comprehensive service efficiency. The completion of facilities such as the office and dormitory buildings, maintenance workshop, warehouse, and gate office will effectively improve the working and living environment of port staff, meet equipment maintenance and material storage needs, optimize vehicle and personnel access management processes, and comprehensively improve the standardization and efficiency of the port's daily operations.

Second, the project will strengthen the port's radiating and driving role for the regional economy. As an important logistics hub for Dongguan and even the Pearl River Delta region, the Shatian Port Area's improvement in throughput capacity and service level is directly related to the import and export efficiency and logistics costs of manufacturing enterprises. After the Phase IV project is fully put into operation, Dongguan Port will have an annual throughput capacity of 6 million TEUs and become an important hub port for near-sea shipping routes. As the carrier of the port's "soft power," the second bid section, by improving supporting functions, will further raise the port's collection and distribution efficiency, attract more shipping routes and cargo volume, promote the clustering of port-side industries, and provide a more convenient and efficient channel for "Made in Dongguan" to reach the world.

Furthermore, the project highlights the direction of large-scale and specialized development of port infrastructure. From the design perspective, the buildings in the second bid section are large in scale with clearly defined functional zones, reflecting the concept of intensive layout of modern port logistics areas. At the same time, this bid section includes facilities such as photovoltaic power generation, shore power systems for vessels, and horizontal charging piles, fully implementing green port construction.

At present, the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area is advancing in depth, and the pattern of coordinated development of port clusters is taking shape at a faster pace. The commencement of construction of the second bid section of the Phase IV project of the Shatian Port Area of Dongguan Port is a concrete action by Dongguan to actively integrate into the construction of the world-class port cluster of the Greater Bay Area and enhance its own port capacity.

Once the project is completed, it will not only fill the gaps in port supporting facilities, but will also, with its efficient, green, and professional operational support system, inject lasting momentum into the long-term development of the Shatian Port Area and even Dongguan Port, further consolidating Dongguan's status as a national-level major foreign trade city and renowned manufacturing city.