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China has begun construction on a waterway megaproject, which is expected to include what will become the world's largest inland ship lock, in response to increasing shipping demand along the Yangtze River, the world's third-longest river.
Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, launched the construction of the new Three Gorges waterway project at a ceremony held in Yichang, Hubei Province, central China.
The $11.3 billion project will add a two-way, five-level lock north of the existing lock at the Three Gorges Dam, the world's largest water conservation project, and upgrade navigation facilities at a smaller dam downstream.
Once completed, it will virtually double the Three Gorges' annual processing capacity to 336 million tons.
The project is expected to set world records in river lock construction in terms of navigable vessel dimensions, chamber size, and earth excavation, according to Niu Xinqiang, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Engineering.
The design emphasizes ecological protection by including exclusive fish passages and using construction methods that minimize impact on fish and other aquatic species, Niu said.
The Yangtze River Economic Belt, spanning 11 provincial-level regions from the western interior to the eastern coast, accounts for nearly half of the national GDP. It hosts major industrial hubs for metallurgy, electronics, and automotive, while newer sectors such as artificial intelligence, biomedicine, and renewable energy are rapidly developing.
The economic belt is also one of China's main centers for investment and foreign trade, representing almost half of the country's foreign trade.
River transportation remains vital for China's economy, especially along the Yangtze River, which stretches over 6,300 km and is known as the country's golden waterway.
However, rapid economic growth and increasing demand for cargo transport have put pressure on the Three Gorges lock, which in 2011 exceeded its design capacity of 100 million tons of annual cargo, 19 years ahead of schedule. Last year's figure surpassed 170 million tons.
Construction of the new lock and its access channels, which together extend approximately 6,680 meters, is expected to take over nine years, while the upgrade of the downstream dam is scheduled to be completed in about eight years.
According to Tang, the new waterway is expected to alleviate supply chain bottlenecks, reduce trade costs, and better connect inland regions with global markets.
Source: portalportuario
