On November 21, two of the world's largest 400,000-ton ore carriers—Vale’s Ore Tianjin and Aconcagua—simultaneously docked and unloaded at the Shulanghu Ore Transfer Terminal on Shulanghu Island, Zhoushan, Zhejiang Province. This historic event marks the first time globally that such an operation has been successfully executed, positioning Ningbo-Zhoushan Port as the world's first port capable of simultaneously accommodating and unloading two vessels of this magnitude.
The extension project for the unloading berth at the Shulanghu Ore Transfer Terminal commenced construction at the end of 2021. In March this year, it was approved for international operations, officially launching the terminal into its “dual 400,000-ton” era. According to Ren Guoqing, Chairman of Zhoushan Shulanghu Terminal Co., Ltd., under current market freight rates, a 400,000-ton ore carrier incurs approximately USD 45,000 in daily logistics costs while waiting to berth. The ability to simultaneously dock two carriers can save up to two days of waiting time, translating to a reduction of approximately USD 90,000 in costs for shipowners.
Currently, over 37 million tons of ore are transshipped globally through this terminal each year. From an operational perspective, the introduction of “dual docking” capability is projected to increase the terminal’s annual unloading capacity to over 50 million tons, a significant 30% improvement from its previous capacity.
By Chen Yao, Shen Lei, and Zhang Lei
