The cumulative cargo volume in the Ningbo section of the Hangzhou-Ningbo Canal has surpassed 50 million tons.

Since its official opening on December 31, 2013, the Ningbo section of the Hangzhou-Ningbo Canal has achieved a cumulative freight volume exceeding 50 million tons and more than 187,000 vessel passages to date. This "golden waterway" of inland rivers across eastern Zhejiang is providing solid support for regional material supply and the development of river-sea intermodal transport with steady and progressive freight scale and increasingly optimized navigation services.

Enhancing Green Shipping Support to Safeguard the Steady Progress of the Canal

The Ningbo maritime department has actively promoted the operation of river-sea intermodal vessels and new energy vessels on the Hangzhou-Ningbo Canal, launching the first new energy intelligent route for the Ningbo section of the canal, "Shaoxing Binhai—Ningbo Chengxi Bilisheng." It has also ensured the stable operation of the first container route on the canal's Ningbo section, achieving a cumulative container throughput of 35,500 TEUs. Additionally, it has strengthened risk prevention and control in key water areas such as the Sanjiangkou area, Yaojiang River, and Shushan Ship Lock, conducting safety inspections on 9,580 vessels and addressing over 18,000 potential safety issues. The water traffic safety of the canal remains consistently stable.

Focusing on Navigation Efficiency to Address Ship Lock Congestion

To tackle congestion and challenges in the lock passage process, Ningbo maritime authorities have coordinated with local transportation, port, navigation, ship lock, and terminal units, leading the establishment of a cross-departmental joint meeting mechanism for the Hangzhou-Ningbo Canal. They have implemented an online vessel whitelist review process for lock passages. Since this system was introduced, 12,000 vessels have been included on the whitelist, reducing the average lock inspection waiting time per ship from 2 hours to 10 minutes, and improving waterway turnover efficiency by 15%. In addition, the expansion of the lock passage dimensions at the Shushan Ship Lock has enabled the canal's Yuyao segment to upgrade its capacity from 500-ton class to 1,000-ton class, further smoothing the "main artery" of inland shipping.

Deepening Convenient Services to Build a New Framework of Joint Construction and Shared Benefits

Focusing on addressing the safety management challenges of small and micro shipping enterprises, Ningbo's maritime authorities have spearheaded the formation of the first vessel safety management consortium on the Hangzhou-Ningbo Canal, involving 6 shipping enterprises and over 130 vessels in co-management, reducing annual operating costs for enterprises by over 250,000 yuan on average. They have also established the "Hangzhou-Ningbo Canal Seafarers' Home" service brand, hosting more than 60 legal awareness and service events, benefitting 3,200 people. Additionally, a seafarers' station and Party-masses service center have been built in Ningbo's central city area, offering services such as cross-region government processing, professional training to enhance seafarers' skills, and "one-stop" conflict mediation 65 times. A new pattern of joint construction and shared benefits in inland waterway shipping is rapidly taking shape.

Moving forward, the Ningbo maritime department will continue to deepen the construction of river-sea intermodal and green shipping systems. Through higher-level regulation and optimized services, they aim to safeguard the safe, smooth, and efficient operation of the Hangzhou-Ningbo Canal, contributing maritime efforts to the high-quality economic and social development of the region.