Zhoushan leads China in the development of fleets featuring direct transport between river and sea, liquefied natural gas filing, and LNG cans. [Photo/WeChat account: china-zjftz]

The shipping industry in Zhoushan, East China's Zhejiang province, continued to develop throughout the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-20), local media reported on Feb 7.

The total transport capacity of ships in the city increased from 5.42 million metric tons to 7.95 million tons over the past five years, and the city is currently home to more than 600 companies involved in water transport, more than any other cities in China.

The average tonnage of Zhoushan's cargo ships was 5,070 tons in 2020, a 37.6 percent increase over 2015, and its number of 10,000-ton ships increased from 127 to 179 over the same period.

Moreover, Zhoushan had 455 oil carriers and 101 chemical carriers by the end of last year, accounting for 16 percent and 32 percent of the total transport capacity of coastal China, respectively. Its oil and chemical transport capacity ranked first among coastal Chinese cities.

The city also leads China in the development of fleets featuring direct transport between river and sea, liquefied natural gas filing, and LNG cans.

In addition, the average age of vessels in Zhoushan was 6.7 years in 2020, far younger than the average age of vessels in other coastal Chinese cities.