The cumulative cargo throughput of the ship locks of the Three Gorges Dam, part of the world’s largest hydropower project, has reached 2.24 billion tons, a milestone in China’s inland waterway transportation, according to data on Wednesday.

Since its opening to navigation in 2003, the Three Gorges Dam ship locks have operated safely and efficiently, improving navigation on the Yangtze River. Over the past 22 years, they have recorded a cumulative freight volume of 2.24 billion tons, 215,000 lock operations, more than 1.074 million cargo vessels, and more than 12.291 million passengers, according to data from the Three Gorges Navigation Authority.

These achievements demonstrate the efficiency of the ship locks and highlight their vital role in maximizing the economic benefits of the Yangtze River’s “golden waterway,” CCTV News reported.

The ship locks are part of the Three Gorges project, a multi-functional water control system located on the Yangtze River, the country’s longest waterway, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

Over the past two decades, the ship locks have continuously broken records in cargo throughput.

From 2022 to 2024, the annual volume of the Three Gorges ship locks surpassed 150 million metric tons each year. Annual cargo throughput soared from 34 million tons at the beginning of its operation to a peak of 169 million tons. Designed with a one-way annual capacity of 50 million tons, the locks have greatly exceeded expectations, highlighting their key role in the high-quality development of the Yangtze River’s waterway, according to another CCTV News report in March.

Li Ran, director of the Navigation Engineering Technology Center of the Three Gorges Navigation Authority, said that the construction of the Three Gorges project has significantly improved the navigation conditions of the upstream reservoir area. The natural advantages of water transport such as low costs and environmental benefits have led to a constant increase in shipping demand, exceeding the ship locks’ original designed capacity.

The Three Gorges Dam ship locks are the world’s most technologically complex inland river locks, spanning a total length of 6.4 kilometers. This includes a 1.66-kilometer main lock structure and a 4.8-kilometer approach channel.

Unlike the Panama Canal locks, which are shorter and mainly serve international shipping, the Three Gorges ship locks are designed to serve both domestic and international vessels. Their main focus is on optimizing the efficiency of China’s inland waterway transportation system, Ye Yong, general manager of the Tourism Development Division at the Three Gorges Tourism Group, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

According to Li, cargo demand has surged following the completion of the Three Gorges project, driven by the lower costs and environmental advantages of water transport.

“To improve passage efficiency, my technical team and I sought a solution,” Li said, adding that the ship locks are set to receive upgrades driven by artificial intelligence. Using big data and machine learning, the locks are expected to further optimize task scheduling, allowing vessels to receive real-time transit estimates from departure to destination.

Source: Global Times