A report from GLOBAL TIMES ONLINE: Construction of Jining Energy Development Group Co., Ltd. (Jining Energy)'s project of manufacturing new energy-powered inland ships kicked off on Oct. 11 in Zoucheng, a county-level city administered by Jining city, east China's Shandong Province. By leveraging its complete-industrial-chain edge in the modern port and shipping logistics industry, Jining Energy will work on the project to build the country's first green, modern and standardized manufacturing base that integrates research and development, design, and intelligent manufacturing of inland ships. With a planned area of about 1,125 mu (75 hectares), the project will have four smart manufacturing workshops and supporting facilities. It is expected to be completed and put into operation by the end of 2023. The first phase of the project, once completed, can manufacture 240 ships and repair 100 ships per year. Once fully completed, the project can manufacture 400 ships and repair 100 ships each year. The manufacturing base for new energy-powered inland ships is a key project of Jining Energy, and the wide use of new energy-powered ships will step up the development of China's inland shipping sector, said Wang Qi, deputy general manager of China Shipbuilding NDRI Engineering Co., Ltd. Wang added that the project will be a demonstration project of the country's manufacturing of new energy-powered inland ships and a leading project that drives the green development of the inland shipping sector. Aiming to promote green and intelligent manufacturing of ships and build green and smart ships, the project will boost standardized shipbuilding, accelerate the upgrading of inland ships, and lead the development of smart and green logistics in areas north of the Yangtze River. "The project will effectively drive the development of steel and high-end chemical industry clusters and inject new vitality into regional economic and social development," said Wang Jianwen, vice secretary of the Communist Party of China Zoucheng municipal committee and mayor of Zoucheng. "Jining Energy is striving to build a complete-industrial-chain system in the port and shipping logistics industry, and the project of manufacturing new energy-powered ships is a crucial part of our efforts," said Zhang Guangyu, chairman of the company. Zhang noted that the project, once completed, will be of great significance to improving the transportation structure in the southern part of Shandong, extending the operating cycle of the regional highway network, improving the ecological environment, boosting rapid regional economic development, driving the sound development of the port and shipping industry, and realizing an economic restoration along the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal. Jining Port is a vital port along the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal. It is estimated that the total cargo throughput of the port will reach 100 million tons and 130 million tons by 2025 and 2035, respectively. The annual growth rate of the need for transport ships in the port is expected to exceed 15 percent and the annual demand for new ships will surpass 500. SOURCE: GLOBAL TIMES ONLINE