The first phase of the international logistics center funded by Maersk begins operating in Ningbo, East China’s Zhejiang province, on July 15. [Photo/cnnb.com.cn]

The first phase of the international logistics center funded by Maersk, a Danish business conglomerate specializing in transportation, logistics, and energy, began operating in Ningbo, East China's Zhejiang province, on July 15.

The center, with an investemnt of around 200 million yuan ($28.9 million), is located in the Meishan Bonded Port Area and covers an area of 150 mu (10 hectares). It is Maersk's first automatic logistics sorting and distribution center in China.

The center's first phase boasts an automatic warehouse and a general shelf warehouse with a combined 50,000 cubic meters of storage space. 

The automatic warehouse has full 5G coverage and around 22,000 storage sites in total. It is equipped with 10 high-shelf automatic stackers and 40 AGVs (Automatic Guided Vehicles). 

It also has a storage yard spanning an area of about 40,000 square meters that can store more than 12,000 TEUs (20-foot equivalent units).

Since it set up its first office in Ningbo in 1996, Maersk has played a leading role in container logistics at the Ningbo Zhoushan Port, the world's busiest seaport in terms of cargo throughout.

Wu Bingqing, president of Maersk Greater China, said at the launch ceremony that China is one of the most important markets for Maersk, and that the Maersk Meishan International Logistics Center aspires to provide customers with better customized and integrated solutions. 

The new logistics center is expected to inject strong momentum into local economic development and offer more prospects for port-shipping cooperation, according to Gong Liming, general manager of Ningbo Zhoushan Port Co Ltd. He added that the Ningbo Zhoushan Port will further strengthen cooperation with Maersk in ports, shipping, and logistics and work to continuously improve the efficiency and quality of its logistics services.