Media reports this week say that a proposed third runway at Hong Kong International Airport could cost port terminals in western Shenzhen millions of dollars a year in lost business.
If the new runway is built, there will probably be a high restriction on ships passing close to the runway, which stretches beyond Hong Kong’s waters and into Shenzhen shipping lanes.
This could mean that the next generation of cargo ships would not be able to access terminals including Chiwan and Shekou without taking a detour through the less direct Tunggu Channel, ultimately decreasing the port’s competitiveness.
Shenzhen wants to make the more direct Longgu West Channel accessible for larger cargo ships but this idea would be scuppered by the ship height restriction imposed by the new runway.
This is not good news for Shenzhen’s port cluster which for the first time this year could overtake Hong Kong in terms of container volume.
Port Strategy could not reach China Merchant Holdings, the largest shareholder in the ports of Chiwan and Shekou, for comment at the time of press.
The Hong Kong government is due to make its decision on the runway in 2015 – meantime the airport authority is conducting an impact study which should be completed next year.