The phase II project of Jingzhou coal storage base received approval from the Development and Reform Commission of Hubei province on April 29, according to Hubei Energy Group.

It is an important part of Hubei Energy's efforts to create a national multimodal transportation demonstration and a coal emergency reserve and supply guaranteeing platform in Hubei.

The base is a key project in the province's "14th Five-Year Plan" period. Situated at the intersection of the Haogji Railway and Yangtze River, it connects coal-producing regions and coal-consuming markets in Central China.

The project aims to meet the requirements of national coal emergency reserve, ensure coal supply in Hubei and surrounding areas, and fully leverage the advantages of rail-water combined transportation to reduce the transportation costs of coal and other bulk commodities, promoting development in the Yangtze River region.

The phase II project plans to construct five additional bulk cargo berths on the basis of phase I project, as well as supporting facilities such as land-based yards and dedicated railway lines.

Upon completion, the base will be able to handle 50 million tonnes of cargoes, with a static coal storage capacity of 5 million tonnes. It will meet the one-month emergency coal demand of thermal power units in Hubei, guaranteeing the coal emergency reserve during critical periods of energy supply in the province.

The phase I project was put into operation in January 2021. It has a transferring capacity of 20 million tonnnes, a waterborne handling capacity of 15 million tonnes, and a static coal storage capacity of 3 million tonmes.

It includes six 3,000-tonnage bulk cargo berths, with two for inbound and four for outbound. Additionally, it has a newly built dedicated rail line with a total length of 14.08 km and supporting facilities.