Two liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers arrived in Nantong, Jiangsu province, on Dec 31, 2018, raising the city to the status of having the highest LNG unloading capacity  in the nation for 2018.

As an important transportation hub between the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) countries, the city has two LNG receiving stations at the Qidong port and Yangkou port of Rudong county, respectively.

The first direct shipment of LNG from Russia's Arctic region to Asia is delivered to PetroChina's Rudong terminal in Nantong, Jiangsu province, July 19, 2018. [Photo/VCG]

The two stations received a total of 108 LNG tanks last year, representing a year-on-year growth of 31.6 percent. The unloading capacity increased to over 7.42 million tons, up 35.9 percent compared to that of the previous year.

Over the past seven years, Nantong has established partnerships with more than 20 LNG plants in countries involved in the BRI, including Qatar, Norway, Australia and Russia.

To contribute to the development of the country’s clean energy industry, the local government has improved LNG transmission facilities, upgraded the handling system and strengthened safety mechanisms at the city’s ports.

A photo taken on Sept 4, 2018, shows an LNG receiving station in Rudong county, Nantong, Jiangsu province. [Photo/VCG]