Unmanned dock completes 1st shore power charging test
2026-08-05 20:08:38
By Chen Si.
On July 31, the Jiuzhou River Dangerous Goods Anchorage completed the first real-ship test of unmanned automated shore power charging.
On July 31, the Jiuzhou River Dangerous Goods Anchorage completed the first real-ship test of unmanned automated shore power charging.
Vessel Taibang 66 is charged with shore power facilities at the Jiuzhou River Dangerous Goods Anchorage.
The Jiuzhou River Dangerous Goods Anchorage sits on the right bank of the Guizhou Waterway in the upper Yangtze River. It is China’s first dolphin-type anchorage built in the deep-water, steep bare-rock zone of the Three Gorges reservoir area. It is also the country’s first inland intelligent anchorage featuring full-range unmanned operation.
Featuring eight high-pile vertical berthing dolphins, the anchorage can accommodate 28 vessels of 5,000-ton class carrying hazardous chemicals waiting to pass through the Three Gorges Dam ship lock.
Backed by a full shore power system, berthed ships can tap into clean-energy supplies for zero-emission operations. The site is also fitted with navigation aids, power and communication utilities, remote intelligent monitoring and other auxiliary systems.
The integrated system can substantially enhance dangerous goods shipment safety and operational efficiency compared with traditional anchorages. By using land-based electricity while waiting for their turn to pass the ship lock, sailors can enjoy a much quieter and less polluting environment than when they burn diesel oil to power their ships.
Zhao Xin, deputy director of the Guizhou Maritime Safety Administration in Yichang, said that the anchorage’s unmanned shore power system delivers stable performance amid drastic 30-meter water-level swings and harsh weather conditions, bringing notable improvements in usability and safety.
Sailors can complete shore power application procedures through WeChat by scanning a QR code to submit ship and crew credentials, selecting power outlets, and submitting online orders.
Power kicks in automatically once operational indicators light up, with no on-site personnel required for the entire procedure.
Wang Ying and Huang Liu also contributed to this story
