CONTAINER throughput at the port of Ningbo-Zhoushan is forecast to reach 12 million TEU in 2010, according to a recently released port development plan by authorities in charge of seaports in Zhejiang province.

To support the transport and handling of such large volumes, the plan calls for the construction of several distribution facilities for containers around the port of Ningbo-Zhoushan by 2010, said Xinhua News Agency.

Aside from the port of Ningbo-Zhoushan, authorities also intend to develop the three other three major ports in the province, namely Wenzhou, Taizhou and Jiaxing.

During January to November 2006, seaports in the province handled 465 million tons of cargo, with Ningbo-Zhoushan's throughput being the second largest among all domestic ports in China, the report added.