Xinjiang Alashankou Port Infrastructure Development Project
China
Proposed
Transport Infrastructure
Quick Facts
More About This Project
Alashankou, a vital railway hub on the border with Kazakhstan, has been evolving as a gateway connecting China with Central Asia, West Asia and Europe. However, its logistics infrastructure has struggled to keep up with rising demand due to several constraints, including limited railway transshipment capacity between standard-gauge used in China and broad-gauge used in Kazakhstan, bottlenecks in inspection procedures for road transport, insufficient warehousing and inadequate operational coordination.
Planned port expansion presents an opportunity to decarbonize its operations. For instance, it is planned to deploy advanced batteries to store the surplus wind-generated electricity from Alashankou, which is currently curtailed due to intermittency, and to obtain heat from air- and wastewater-source heat pumps instead of traditional coal-fired heating stations. A substantial part of carbon emissions is expected to be captured through large-scale afforestation near the port.
The Project includes four components:
Component I: Enhancing Logistics Infrastructure: (i) construction of railway transshipment lines, dedicated lines and a second broad-gauge railway marshalling yard; (ii) construction of a new road port joint inspection hall and rehabilitation of roads; and (iii) development of warehouses.
Component II: Accelerating Digital Transformation: development of an integrated digital platform.
Component III: Sustainably Strengthening Support Facilities: upgrade and expansion of utilities and auxiliary infrastructure, including green heating and power storage systems to reduce carbon emissions, and protective forests to serve as carbon sinks.
Component IV: Project Management and Capacity Building.
The Project aims to transform Alashankou into a high-performing trade hub by augmenting its logistics capacity and advancing its digital transformation. In parallel, and in line with Chinese government directives to integrate transport infrastructure with renewable energy, the Project is expected to substantially reduce Alashankou’s carbon footprint.