The Ministry of Construction and the Architecture Association of China have awarded YICT's Phase III their Luban Prize – China's highest accolade for architecture and construction. The award is a testament to the facility's large scale, technological excellence and quality engineering.

YICT had just these benefits in mind when building the new phase. The terminal operator's goal was to provide unparalleled port service to super-mega container vessels, and to be able to service the shipping industry's largest ships for years to come.

Anticipating ever-larger container ship sizes, YICT designed Phase III to ensure no major overhauls of the project's main structures would be needed within the next 50 years, and to guarantee Yantian would continue to be one of South China's major ports in the future.

Construction of Phase III was carried out to ensure maximum safety and reliability. Project engineers followed the latest national engineering standards from China and the UK to enhance the main structures. YICT also integrated several cutting-edge technologies into Phase III.

For instance, engineers installed heavy-duty anchor ties in the pile foundations to transfer uplift force directly into the bedrock, thereby minimising the effects on port facilities during gales. YICT also acted to reduce erosion by using high-performance concrete in construction. Anti-seismic reinforcing steel joints were utilised to guard against earthquakes. Finally, German-made spreaders and an automated laser leveling system were used to ensure the overall gradient of the yard was within the prescribed limit of ±6 millimetres.

Construction of the phase was jointly managed by YICT, the Second Engineering Company of the Fourth Harbor Engineering Company, and the Second Engineering Bureau of China Railway. The project comprised four berths, a 1,400-metre-long quay with a width of 36.5 metres, and a 72.8 hectare yard with a handling capacity of 4.7 million TEU and stacking capacity of over 108,000 containers. Seventeen sub-projects were also part of the project, including retaining walls and roads.

This is not the first time YICT has been honoured with a Luban Prize. In 2001, the terminal operator received the distinction for Phase II. It is also not the first time that Phase III itself has garnered awards. In 2006, the new phase earned the Quality Port & Engineering Project Award and in 2007, the First Prize for Port & Waterway Engineering by the Ministry of Communications.

Through distinctions such as these, YICT continues to show its ability to meet the needs of the super-mega vessels of today and tomorrow.