On January 13, 2024, He Jianzhong, the former Deputy Minister of Transport and Chairman of the China Institute of Navigation, inspected the operation of river-to-sea shipping in Zhoushan. Sun Feng, President of the China Classification Society and Vice Chairman of the China Institute of Navigation, and Li Shixin, former Deputy Director of the Maritime Bureau of the Ministry of Transport and Vice Chairman of the China Institute of Navigation, accompanied him during the inspection tour.
At the Laotangshan Phase V Terminal in Zhoushan, Chairman He Jianzhong and his team boarded the "River-Sea Direct 67" vessel, inspected areas such as the deck, bridge house, and accomodation to learn about the ship's technical condition, safety management, and transportation operations. The vessel is a 14,000-ton class bulk carrier on specific routes, completed at the end of 2022, mainly operating between Zhoushan and the major ports in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. The Zhoushan Jianghai Intermodal Services Center has established a "capacity pool" for river--sea direct vessels, adopting scheduled liner service, transporting soybeans, corn, and other grains directly from Zhoushan to ports such as Wuhan, Huangshi, and Yueyang. Currently, during the low water season of the Yangtze River, the vessel just transported 10,500 tons of grain from Zhoushan directly to Wuhan Port, and on the return trip, it carried cement clinker directly to Zhoushan, before loading grain again for another trip up the river. According to the shipowner, the vessel makes at least four voyages per month, with stable cargo sources for both directions, and has good economic benefits. River-sea direct shipping reduces transshipment, saves logistics costs, minimizes cargo losses and environmental pollution, and has been favored by the industry. In last two years, a number of river-sea direct vessels have been built and put into operation, with 20 bulk cargo carriers and 19 container ships completed, and more under construction.
Chairman He affirmed the development of river-sea direct vessels, highlighted the importance of strengthening safety management by companies and masters, and suggested that the subsequent development of river-sea direct vessels should move towards green and intelligent directions and encourage the use of clean energy. It is necessary to summarize the experience, conduct research on river-sea direct transport in regions such as the Yangtze River Delta, encourage shipowners to put forward reasonable opinions and suggestions to promote the continuous updating and upgrading of ship norms and regulations.
