The cargo throughput of ports along the Yangtze River is expected to hit a record 4.02 billion tons in 2024. Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn
The cargo throughput of ports along the Yangtze River is expected to hit a record 4.02 billion tons when figures are totaled for 2024, retaining the river's title as the world's busiest interior waterway, the river administration announced recently.
The record growth will come despite significant challenges through the year such as severe floods, droughts, typhoons and major maintenance on the Three Gorges ship locks, it said. The annual port cargo throughput grew 3.9 percent year-on-year, while pilot-guided vessel cargo volume reached 470 million tons, up 6 percent. The Three Gorges Dam navigation hub handled nearly 160 million tons of cargo.
The cargo throughput of ports along the Yangtze River is expected to hit a record 4.02 billion tons in 2024. Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn
Over the past year, the ports moved 850 million tons of coal, 130 million tons of petroleum and natural gas, 110 million tons of grain and 26.21 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of goods in containers.
Inland shipping fee reductions saved enterprises 65 million yuan ($8.91 million), while structural adjustments to fleet capacity brought the retirement and replacement of aging operational vessels. Nearly 80 percents of the 2,618 outdated vessels planned for dismantling in 2024 have been processed, enhancing the efficiency of the fleet.
The cargo throughput of ports along the Yangtze River is expected to hit a record 4.02 billion tons in 2024. Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn
Navigational upgrades significantly supported growth, with key adjustment projects including Phase 2 of the Jingjiang channel, the Wuhan-Anqing 6-meter-deep water channel and the Chongqing Chaotianmen-Fuling fueling channel. The electronic navigation map system expanded to 5,586 kilometers, and the waterway corridor has efficiently connected the provinces of Hubei, Jiangxi, Anhui, Jiangsu and Zhejiang, along with Shanghai.
Significant strides were made in green and smart shipping. More than 34,200 vessels had their direct discharge systems sealed, and 21,000 tons of garbage and 1.28 million cubic meters of sewage were properly managed in all steps throughout the year.
Shore power usage increased by 54 percent to 190 million kWh, while waste oil and tank wash water disposal rose by 37.7 percent and 31.2 percent respectively compared with the same period last year.
The cargo throughput of ports along the Yangtze River is expected to hit a record 4.02 billion tons in 2024. Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn
The Yangtze smart management platform has been put into operation with full 5G coverage achieved in the area, which greatly enhances logistics efficiency and reduces costs. The monitoring and management systems targeting the new-energy vessels, cleaning stations for hazardous chemical tankers and shore power usage, have been constructed.
Collaboration across regions and industries drove high-quality development in the Yangtze River shipping sector. Efforts covering a joint initiative, a development forum and innovative models fostered industry-wide coordination and efficiency.
Looking ahead, administration spokesman Huan Zhaoping outlined plans for the coming year, which focus on enhancing system management, improving service efficiency, driving reform outcomes and fostering collaborative development. These efforts aim to establish a safe, efficient, green and economically sustainable Yangtze River shipping system by the end of 2025.
Guo Yanqi contributed to this story.
