Yangkou Port in Rudong, Nantong, Jiangsu province. [Photo/zgsyb.com]

According to the Nantong maritime safety administration, in the first half of this year, the liquid chemical terminal at Yangkou Port in Rudong county, Nantong, Jiangsu province received 172 vessels carrying dangerous goods, representing a 282.2 percent increase compared to the same period last year.

The volume of hazardous chemicals handled at the port reached 1.22 million metric tons, a remarkable 878.2 percent year-on-year growth.

Since the beginning of the year, the Nantong maritime traffic control center has been closely coordinating with the Rudong maritime authorities to ensure the safe arrival of vessels carrying dangerous goods at the port.

The Yangkou Port's liquid chemical terminal handles various types of goods, including acrylonitrile and phenol, which are primarily supplied to Tongkun Group and Weihua (Rudong) Trading Co. Tongkun Group alone consumes an average of 12,000 tons of raw chemical materials per day.

The terminal has already constructed five berths with different capacities, including 5,000 ton, 10,000 ton, and 50,000-ton. Three berths have been opened to the public, while the remaining two are expected to be operational in the second half of the year. This expansion will further increase the number and tonnage of vessels arriving at the port.