To open up new transport and logistics channels with the rest of the world, East China's Shandong province is trying to forge a container transport pattern with Qingdao Port working in the east, and Linqing Port operating in the west.

While Qingdao is a semi-provincial-level city bordering the sea in Shandong, Linqing is a land-locked city under the prefecture-level city of Liaocheng in western Shandong, which is trying in all its endeavors to upgrade the Luxi (Western Shandong) International Land Port in Linqing.

From January to October 2023, the land port has witnessed a container shipment volume of 128,600 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) and a cargo transport of 1.55 million metric tons.

As the first stop in Shandong for the Beijing-Kowloon Railway and sitting on the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal linking the north and the south, Linqing is a key gateway for "Shandong to reach the western region, and for Shanxi and Hebei to link with the outside in the east".

By relying on the Beijing-Kowloon Railway and railway freight yards, the Luxi International Land Port wants to cover a radius of over 300 kilometers, which can connect the Maritime Silk Road in the east and the Eurasian Continental Bridge in the west. It also wants to cooperate with 17 world-renowned shipping companies, including Maersk, the world's largest container transport company, and another key player Mediterranean Shipping Company SA, to link Linqing with any port in the world.

On Nov 3, 2023, Luxi International Land Port started its upgrade and expansion project in a planned land area of 12.5 hectares, including building an 110,000-square-meter container yard, extended railway lines and some supporting facilities. Upon completion, the port's transport capacity will increase by four times, and its annual shipping volume of containers can reach 600,000 TEUs.

Upon receiving the port's electricity application, Shandong Liaocheng Power Supply Company of State Grid immediately launched a three-in-one service, electricity installation and high-standard connection, and set up a "one-stop" team to better serve the land port. Within three working days, staffers from the company completed their on-site check and application response, while also helping the port optimize its configuration of electrical equipment, said Guo Shuya, a staffer from Liaocheng Power Supply Co.

She noted that during the acceptance stage, her unit improved power transmission efficiency through its "cloud services" for the land port, which greeted the new power transmission on Nov 17.

During the period, the company also organized professional technicians to assist the port in identifying and rectifying hidden dangers in its power supply facilities, helping safeguard safe electricity use in the port area, she added.

Guo's colleague Song Yanli stressed that as well as serving the land port — a key client, they also improved their three-in-one service for carrying out applications, electricity installation and connection with high standards for other customers in the city.

Since the start of 2023, the company has optimized and simplified the process of obtaining electricity for clients, allowing large and medium-sized enterprises to get electricity within 20.9 working days, and small and micro enterprises to receive electricity within 6.7 working days from the start of their application, Song said.

Meanwhile, they also implemented an operation method of "immediate action upon receiving a task from a client"， and promoted a mini-program of "Online State Grid", offering 17 services, such as new installation and capacity expansion, renaming and transferring the name of ownership, for more convenient and efficient services for customers.