New Shanghai Chengtou unit to play major role in Lingang

Shanghai Chengtou, or the Shanghai Municipal Investment (Group) Corp, established a subsidiary in Lingang on Thursday to boost infrastructure investment and construction in the special area which is part of the Shanghai Free Trade Zone.

The establishment of the Shanghai Chengtou Xinggang Investment and Construction Co marks Shanghai Chengtou's commitment to Lingang to participate in the planning, construction and operation of the port town at the southeastern tip of Shanghai.

The new company will integrate regional resources, make full use of the advantages of Shanghai Chengtou in various fields, and build an international infrastructure investment, construction and operational management platform.

In addition to construction, this will include government procurement, franchising and other market-oriented strategies.

Hu Xin, chief engineer of Shanghai Chengtou, told reporters that Xinggang Investment and Construction would spare no effort to build a comprehensive service guarantee system integrating planning, investment, construction and operations, and provide Lingang with “the most efficient facility construction, the most intensive spatial layout, the best public utilities and the most intelligent urban operation and maintenance.”The company’s business is divided into four parts: providing integrated service schemes for raw water, water supply, drainage and sewage treatment in Lingang; building a solid waste treatment system for the processing of domestic, medical and hazardous waste, soil remediation, recycling and the utilization of renewable resources; building an integrated road, shipping and rail network; and housing reforms for renting and selling.

In addition to public utilities projects, Shanghai Chengtou will fully support its subsidiary in a range of market-oriented projects in Lingang. It will coordinate with two listed subsidiaries and its own investment funds and financial service institutions to deliver the most competitive investment and construction plans, Hu added.

Zhu Zhisong, executive deputy director of the Lingang Special Area Administrative Committee, also yesterday announced the commencement of supporting works for the Lingang water plant to meet increasing demand and improve supply.

The short-term scale of the plant is 200,000 tons per day, the overall planning land area is about 12 hectares, and the total investment is expected to be 1.4 billion yuan (US$192.6 million). The plant will mainly serve the southern part of Lingang but also provide services throughout the town.

With the high-quality raw water from Qingcaosha reservoir, Shanghai’s main water source, and the latest tap water technology, the new plant is expected to be a world leader.