(image：Yantai Port Group)
Yantai Port, China, May 6, 2019 – The Rigel Vessel Reception Ceremony took place today at the Mineral Wharf in the western area of Yantai Harbor. It was the first time for Winning International Group to use this 300,000 tonne vessel category to transport bauxites from Guinea to China. WANG Xiaojun, deputy mayor of Yantai City, SUN Fuchun, chairman of Yantai Port Group, YANG Congsen, deputy general manager of Weiqiao Pioneering Group, SUN Zhijun, vice president of Winning International Group in Singapore, attended the presided ceremony by ZHANG Haijun, deputy secretary general of Yantai Port Group, and made speeches. There were also many directors present at the ceremony, including Baosteel Resources and other departments in Yantai City, such as the Development Zone Management Committee, the Customs Service, the Business Office the Customs Control Station, the Railway Service, the Transport Management Bureau, the Customs Agency, and the Yantai Port Pilot Station. Vice-Chairs ZHANG Quancheng and ZHANG Shaogang participated in the day’s activities.
(image：Yantai Port Group)
In the speech of WANG Xiaojun, Deputy Mayor of Yantai City, he said that the CPC Municipal Committee and Yantai City have long focused on the construction and development of Yantai Port, a symbol of opening of the city to the outside world. With the commissioning of major projects located in the western area of the port, the capacity of the port continues to grow. It has become one of China’s major coastal ports and a major logistics corridor. With the first arrival of the 300,000-ton ore ship, the Rigel ship of extraordinary tonnage filled with bauxites, the port of Yantai has once again been able to spread its reputation on the international scene. Economic development in Yantai City will also benefit from this momentum.
In the speech of SUN Fuchun, chairman of the Yantai Port Group, he congratulated the arrival of the Rigel ship from the Winning International Group at the Yantai port. This was not only the first time for Winning International Group, but also the first time in maritime history that a VLOC ore ship with a tonnage of 300,000 tonnes was loaded with bauxite. This marked a breakthrough in the capacity of the bauxite projects in Guinea of the SMB-Winning consortium to load at sea, and on international shipping capacity. Already, the construction of a complete logistics chain from Guinea to Yantai in China has entered a new and unprecedented phase. This breakthrough is of strategic importance as it has made the SMB-Winning consortium more competitive in the international bauxite market, particularly in the areas of production, refining, transportation and sales. The words of the SMB-Winning consortium now carry more weight in the indurstry.
In his enthusiastic speech, YANG Congsen, deputy general manager of the Weiqiao Pioneering group, shared the latest development of the Weiqiao group, while confirming the success of the SMB-Winning consortium. He said he is very proud to witness this historic moment of transport never seen 300,000 tons of bauxites by a VLOC ore ship. He is confident that with these ships of extraordinary tonnage, the bauxite supply chain will be further strengthened, which would provide a solid foundation for the development of the aluminum industry in China.
(image：Yantai Port Group)
According to SUN Zhijun (pictured above), vice-president of Winning International Group in Singapore: “The Rigel ship is the first vessel of a VLOC of 300,000 tonnes deployed by Winning Shipping to transport bauxite from Guinea to China. For us, this is a new creation of bauxite shipping. This is also the first step of the bauxite transport project by ore ships of extraordinary tonnages Winning Shipping, which marks historical significance! ”
He also explained that for the SMB-Winning consortium, the arrival of the Rigel vessel was another successful step after the arrival of the first Capesize vessel of Guinea bauxites at the port of Yantai in China in November 2015, which reinforced the number one port of Yantai port for the loading and unloading of bauxites in China and marked historical significance.
SUN Zhijun continues: “We are convinced that the 300,000 tonne vessels, especially the VLOC ships project being developed by Winning Shipping, have incomparable and irreplaceable advantages in terms of energy saving and reduction of pollution. Not only have we created a miracle in the history of mining abroad, but we need to make our green development philosopher a reality, to further contribute to the well-being of the Guinean and Chinese peoples, and make the Guinea-China bauxite transport route a green one that protects the environment, reduces energy consumption and reduces pollution.
In recent years, hand in hand with partners such as the Weiqiao Group and Winning International Group, the port of Yantai relying on large deep-water docks in the western area of the port, the port transition platform Longkou, the Taoer river port within Binzhou port, and by mobilizing its fleet of vessels around the Bohai Sea, has managed to create a door-to-door international bauxite logistics chain. overseas mines to end customers in China. He also forged his international reputation for “Chinese Speed” and “Yantai Harbor Brand” through his performance in construction and port management in Guinea.
Thanks to the efforts of the partners of the SMB-Winning consortium, this China-Guinea mineral resource route has been in constant operation for 3 years. The 9 docks of the 2 ports at Boke in Guinea are all running at full speed. Last year, the volume of bauxite outflows from Guinea exceeded 40 million tonnes. The bauxite loading and unloading capacity at Yantai port also exceeded 100 million tonnes for the first time, guaranteeing it its number one position for six years in a row for bauxite imports from all Chinese ports.
According to sources of information, the 300,000-tonne (and 400,000-tonne) ore-bearing docks in the western area of Yantai Port remain the only ones on the southern shore of the Bohai Sea and are part of the major docks specialized in few deep water in China. Since this year, the port of Yantai has been steadily increasing the value for money of loading and unloading services for ships of extraordinary tonnage. By following the requirements of building an “effective port”, it further enhances the organization of teamwork and control of procedures, making it one of the best “efficient ports” in the world.