Lianyungang Port’s Iron Ore Throughput Surpasses 35 Million Tons

From: Lianyungang Daily Updated: 2025-11-25 04:26

Recently, the Singapore-flagged “Visionary Ocean” vessel, laden with approximately 400,000 tons of iron ore, slowly berthed at Berth 87 of the Xinsu Port Terminal in Lianyungang Port. This batch of iron ore was fully unloaded by November 15 and was then ly transported to domestic steel enterprises. Since the completion and commissioning of Lianyungang Port’s 400,000-ton terminal, its iron ore throughput has been on a continuous rise. From January to October this year, the iron ore throughput at Lianyungang Port exceeded 35 million tons, marking a 6% year-on-year increase and achieving a historic leap.

The “Visionary Ocean” is 360 meters long, equivalent to the length of three standard football fields, with a maximum cargo capacity of 400,000 tons and a draft depth of 23 meters. The entry and exit operations of such a colossal vessel are a complex systematic project with stringent requirements for tidal conditions. To ensure the safe and efficient completion of the unloading of the initial 25,000 tons of ore before the evening low tide, the Lianyungang Exit-Entry Border Inspection Station made advance arrangements and implemented the “on-arrival inspection” facilitation measure. Once the vessel was securely berthed, border inspection officers ly boarded it to complete the border inspection formalities and allowed simultaneous unloading operations, effectively reducing non-operational waiting time. “Upon the vessel’s arrival at the port, we immediately provided manual reception services and dispatched officers to quickly board the ship for hull inspections and person-document verifications, minimizing the vessel’s time spent at the port,” said Officer Zhuang from the Third Duty Team of the Lianyungang Border Inspection Station.

Efficient customs clearance guarantees have won precious time for terminal operations. Ji, the Deputy Manager of the Safety and Environmental Protection Department at Lianyungang Xinsu Port Terminal Co., Ltd., said, “While the border inspection officers were conducting their checks on board, the vessel could simultaneously carry out unloading operations. This has saved us a significant amount of time costs and improved the terminal’s transfer efficiency.” During the operations, the massive ship’s holds slowly opened, and mechanical arms precisely grabbed the iron ore, which was continuously transported via enclosed conveyor belts to the rear storage yard. Subsequently, it was efficiently dispatched to areas along the Yangtze River Delta and the Longhai Railway through sea-rail intermodal transportation and other means.

As the only seaport in Jiangsu Province capable of handling 400,000-ton vessels, Lianyungang Port has been driving steady growth in its iron ore throughput in recent years by continuously upgrading its hardware facilities and optimizing operational procedures. Now, Lianyungang Port has firmly established itself as a crucial “raw material hub” for the development of the regional steel industry and is playing an increasingly important role in the new development paradigm of promoting both domestic and international circulations.