Cargo throughput at Three Gorges hub tops 100 million tons
2026-08-14 20:08:01
By Gao Qing.
The Three Gorges hub had handled 100 million tons of cargo as of August 13, 2026, marking the 15th consecutive year that cargo throughput at the world’s largest hydropower project has surpassed the milestone, according to the Three Gorges Navigation Administration.
Statistics show that the Three Gorges ship locks handled 21,562 vessels carrying 97.276 million tons of cargo, while the ship lift handled 2,590 vessels and 446,000 passengers. Some 28.468 million tons of daily necessities and 778,000 tons of key supplies were transported across the dam.
The Three Gorges hub had handled 100 million tons of cargo as of August 13, 2026, marking the 15th consecutive year that cargo throughput at the world’s largest hydropower project has surpassed the milestone, according to the Three Gorges Navigation Administration.
Statistics show that the Three Gorges ship locks handled 21,562 vessels carrying 97.276 million tons of cargo, while the ship lift handled 2,590 vessels and 446,000 passengers. Some 28.468 million tons of daily necessities and 778,000 tons of key supplies were transported across the dam.
Aerial view of the Three Gorges hub. Photo by Wang Gang.
The Three Gorges hub first surpassed 100 million tons of annual cargo throughput in 2011. Annual throughput has exceeded 150 million tons every year since 2021, making the hub an important logistics link along the Yangtze River Economic Belt.
As a major multipurpose water conservancy and shipping hub on the Yangtze River, the Three Gorges project serves multiple functions, including flood control, power generation, and river transport. It features a double-line, five-stage ship lock for large cargo vessels and a ship lift for smaller vessels.
With shipping demand rising, construction began on June 8 on the Three Gorges New Waterway Project, an expansion officials describe as a “waterborne expressway” for 10,000-ton vessels. The project includes new navigation facilities at the Three Gorges hub and upgrades to those at the downstream Gezhouba Dam.
Cargo ships pass through the Three Gorges ship locks. Photo by Wang Gang.
Han Jingwen, Yang Bojun, Jiang Yanling and Guo Xiaohui also contributed to this story.
