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

Yangguang Island, an artificial island located in the Yellow Sea off the northeast coast of Rudong, Jiangsu, is China's largest offshore liquefied natural gas hub. Despite covering just 3 square kilometers, it boasts an annual LNG handling capacity of 7 million metric tons, supplying one-third of Jiangsu's natural gas needs.

The Yangkou Port, where the island is situated, has developed a sustainable energy strategy that prioritizes LNG while incorporating wind, solar energy, and hydrogen as key secondary sources.

The Yellow Sea Bridge at Yangkou Port. [Photo/Yangkou Port]

Major projects have fueled growth in the port's industrial zone. Tongkun Group's polyester project, operating at full capacity since last year, expects to reach an annual output of 38 billion yuan ($5.34 billion), while Asia Pulp & Paper's tissue project, which represents a total investment of 45 billion yuan, is set to exceed 10 billion yuan in annual taxable sales.

The Yangkou Port Economic Development Zone's industrial output reached 30.1 billion yuan in the first half of 2024, marking a 52.69 percent increase year-on-year. This rapid industrial growth is also driving port expansion, with cargo throughput at Yangkou Port reaching 7.34 million tons from January to August, a 15.81 percent rise from the previous year.

To accommodate this growth, a new major infrastructure project—the Second Yellow Sea Bridge—is nearing completion. Extending over a distance of approximately 10 kilometers, this infrastructure project is positioned to alleviate traffic congestion on the current Yellow Sea Bridge, thereby enabling the port to accommodate its growing cargo requirements.