The building of the fourth phase of the Yangshan Deep-Water Port has won green light from China's national economic planner, according to the local government in Zhejiang province.

The National Development and Reform Commission had approved the project located in Yangshan in Zhejiang province in mid-October, Zhejiang's transport authority said in a statement.

The fourth phase project will involve an overall investment of about CNY12.85Bn ($2.1Bn) in five 50,000-tonne container berths and two 70,000-tonne container berths, as well as a work vessel berth. The berths will measure 2,800m in length.

The design throughput capacity of the berths, which are expected to be operated by Shanghai International Port (Group) (SIPG) after completion, will total up to 6.3Mteu.

Project construction will start at the end of 2014, with its completion estimated between end of 2016 and early 2017.

In 2013, SIPG posted an overall container throughput of 33.77Mteu in the container terminals it operated in Shanghai.