China's first unmanned intelligent inland river anchorage begins operation
2026-05-22 20:05:03
By Liu Yifan
On May 21, two ships, Haiyuan 766 and Zhonglunhua 3506, successively berthed at Berths No. 3 and No. 2 of the dangerous goods vessel waiting anchorage on the Jiuzhou River, becoming the first vessels to dock since the facility officially began operation.
On May 21, two ships, Haiyuan 766 and Zhonglunhua 3506, successively berthed at Berths No. 3 and No. 2 of the dangerous goods vessel waiting anchorage on the Jiuzhou River, becoming the first vessels to dock since the facility officially began operation.
Hazardous chemical vessels berthing at anchorage awaiting lock. Photo by Huang Liu
The Jiuzhou River dangerous goods vessel waiting anchorage is located on the right bank of the Guizhou waterway in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, between kilometers 82.5 and 86.2. It is China’s first berthing facility built in a deep-water, steep, bare-rock area within the Three Gorges Reservoir region.
Construction began on May 10, 2022, and the project was completed and accepted in September 2025, with total investment exceeding 400 million yuan. The anchorage is equipped with shore power facilities, enabling ships to use zero-emission electricity while berthed.
The facility integrates navigation aids, power supply and communication systems, and intelligent monitoring equipment, enabling remote command, visualized monitoring, and fully unattended management. It is China’s first fully visualized, unmanned intelligent inland river anchorage.
Hazardous chemical vessels berthing at anchorage awaiting lock. Photo by Huang Liu
The Jiuzhou River anchorage includes eight high-pile vertical berths, numbered 1 through 8, with capacity for 28 vessels of up to 5,000 tons each.
According to Wu Longquan, deputy director of the Guizhou Maritime Safety Administration in Yichang, the berths are managed by category and zone:
• Berths 1 to 3 are designated for vessels carrying non-flammable, non-explosive Class 1 dangerous goods.
• Berths 4 to 6 are for vessels carrying non-flammable, non-explosive Class 2 dangerous goods.
• Berths 7 and 8 are reserved for vessels carrying flammable and explosive Class 1 dangerous goods.
The anchorage was built to address the shortage of dedicated berths for hazardous materials vessels upstream of the Three Gorges Dam and between the Three Gorges and Gezhouba dams. Previously, dispersed anchorages and long waiting times created safety risks.
On the opening day, staff from the Yichang Guizhou Maritime Safety Administration escorted the two vessels safely to their berths.
“Once fully operational, the facility will significantly ease anchoring pressure in the Three Gorges Reservoir region, shorten lock waiting times, and help reduce costs while improving efficiency in Yangtze River transportation and logistics,” Wu said.
