China's largest offshore LNG hub adds two new terminals

Overview

Updated 1 hour ago

China's largest offshore energy hub just gained two new LNG terminals. The 150,000-tonne-class facilities at Yangkou Port in Jiangsu completed their main structures on October 15, each with a 410-meter butterfly-shaped berth.

One is China's first shared LNG terminal, supplying two receiving stations from a single berth. When all four planned stations on Sunshine Island are running, the island will accept about 26 million tonnes of LNG a year, roughly 10% of China's total. It already delivers nearly 30% of Jiangsu's natural gas.

Why it matters

The hub will process about 10% of China's LNG imports, anchoring the Yangtze River Delta's shift from coal to natural gas.

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Key Indicators

26M tonnes

Planned annual LNG receiving capacity

About 10% of China's total once all four stations run

900+

LNG vessel berthings

At Sunshine Island since 2011; milestone reached October 9, 2026

75M tonnes

LNG received since 2011

Delivered from 29 countries and regions

100B m³

Natural gas delivered

Cumulative pipeline deliveries since 2011

30%

Share of Jiangsu's gas supply

Share of the province's natural gas flowing through the island

LNG terminals completed

Both handed over main structures in October 2026

Voices

Curated perspectives — historical figures and your fellow readers.

Ever wondered what historical figures would say about today's headlines?

People Involved

Miao Xiaochen

General Manager, PetroChina Jiangsu LNG Company

Overseeing the receiving station's expansion, including Phase IV

Shao Feng

Magistrate, Rudong County

Leading Rudong's clean-energy strategy around the LNG hub

Organizations Involved

CCCC Second Harbor Engineering

State-owned engineering contractor

Built Sunshine Island and the two new LNG terminals

Part of China Communications Construction Company, the world's largest port construction group, and the lead builder at Yangkou Port since 2006.

PetroChina Jiangsu LNG Company

State oil company subsidiary

Operates the island's first and largest receiving station; building Phase IV

The anchor tenant of Sunshine Island and the largest LNG receiving terminal in the Yangtze River Delta.

Jiangsu Guoxin Group

Provincial state energy company

Building an LNG receiving station; supporting terminal just completed

State-run Jiangsu energy group building a key emergency gas-supply project at Yangkou Port.

GCL Huidong

Clean energy company (GCL Group subsidiary)

Building an LNG receiving station; terminal is China's first shared LNG facility

Private clean-energy firm building the island's third receiving station.

Yangkou Port Economic Development Zone

Local government development zone

Managing the port's expansion and clean-energy cluster

The government body overseeing Rudong's port development and industrial growth.

Timeline

2006 October 2026

11 events Latest: Today Showing 8 of 11

Tap a bar to jump to that date

October 2026
Terminal completion announced
Today Announcement

News breaks that the two terminals advance China's largest offshore LNG hub.
Today
Two LNG terminals hand over main structures
Construction

Guoxin and GCL Huidong terminals complete main structures with 410-meter berths.
3 days ago
900th LNG vessel berths
Milestone

Georgiy Ushakov arrives; 900th berthing, reached 394 days after the 800th.
October 9th, 2026
May 2026
PetroChina Phase III jetty completed
Construction

2,800-meter jetty bridge finished for the terminal's third phase, planned to handle 6.5 million tonnes annually.
May 30th, 2026
April 2026
Gas deliveries pass 100 billion cubic meters
Milestone

PetroChina Jiangsu terminal becomes Jiangsu's first '100-billion' LNG station.
April 24th, 2026
September 2025
800th LNG vessel berthing
Milestone

Yangkou Port records its 800th LNG vessel arrival at Sunshine Island.
September 2025
June 2023
China Resources Gas breaks ground
Construction

Groundbreaking on an 8-billion-yuan LNG terminal, the island's fourth station project.
June 21st, 2023
2020
Two new receiving stations recruited
Investment

Rudong attracts Guoxin and GCL Huidong LNG receiving station projects.
2020
2019
Island written into national plan
Policy

Sunshine Island listed in the Yangtze River Delta regional integration plan.
2019
May 2011
First LNG vessel arrives
Milestone

PetroChina Jiangsu terminal begins operations with its first LNG carrier.
May 2011
2006
Sunshine Island construction begins
Construction

CCCC Second Harbor Engineering starts building Sunshine Island at Yangkou Port.
2006

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Scenarios

Sunshine Island hits full capacity with four stations by 2029

Likely Resolves by Jan 15, 2029

Discussed by: CGTN and China Daily construction reporting

PetroChina's operating phases plus its Phase IV, Guoxin, GCL Huidong, and China Resources terminals would put the island at its 26-million-tonne target. Two terminals just wrapped up, PetroChina's Phase III jetty finished in June 2026, and Guoxin's station was expected to start receiving vessels in the first half of 2026. Most pieces are in place; the open question is commissioning speed.

Offshore conditions delay the island's full buildout past 2030

Possible Resolves by Jan 15, 2031

Discussed by: Construction reports on Yangkou's harsh marine environment

Yangkou's waters have tide swings near 8 meters, constant swell even without wind, and typhoons that leave a working window of only a few months each year. Effective working days average under 12 per month. If China Resources' terminal or PetroChina Phase IV slip, full capacity slides past 2030.

Cold-energy industries push the island beyond LNG imports

Possible Resolves by Q2 2029

Discussed by: Rudong county government development plans

Rudong is building a 'thousand-billion-yuan' clean-energy industry around the island, using LNG cold energy for data centers, hydrogen, and air separation. China Telecom and VNET have already signed on for green computing projects. Fast demand growth could prompt a fifth station or capacity expansion before the planned four finish.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

March 2011 – 2014

Japan's LNG buildout after Fukushima (2011)

After the March 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, Japan shut down nearly all of its nuclear reactors, which had supplied roughly 30% of its electricity. Japan, already the world's largest LNG importer, ramped up receiving capacity and signed new supply deals to keep the grid running. LNG imports rose by double digits within two years.

Then

Japan raced to secure cargoes and expand terminals, keeping the lights on through imported gas.

Now

LNG's share of Japan's power mix roughly doubled, and the episode became the template for energy-security-driven gas infrastructure buildout.

Why this matters now

China's Sunshine Island follows the same logic: lock in LNG import capacity ahead of demand, driven by energy security and a shift away from coal.

2002–2017

Shanghai's Yangshan offshore port (2002–2017)

Shanghai built a massive container port on islands roughly 30 km offshore in Hangzhou Bay, connected to the mainland by the 32-km Donghai Bridge. Phase one opened in 2005, and by the mid-2010s the port made Shanghai the world's busiest container hub.

Then

The port relieved Shanghai's crowded river docks and gave mega-ships deep-water berths.

Now

It became the model for China's offshore logistics hubs, proving that building on open-water islands works at scale.

Why this matters now

Sunshine Island uses the same playbook: an offshore island in the Yangtze Delta, linked by 5,056 meters of bridges, built for strategic energy rather than containers.