China has successfully conducted its first trial navigation of an 83.4-mile inland canal, built to connect the country’s vast Xijiang River network to the Gulf of Tonkin, and give inland southwestern China a more direct shipping route to Southeast Asia.
According to The Maritime Executive, the Pinglu Canal will shorten inland waterway transportation by nearly 350 miles compared to existing routes, reduce transportation costs by as much as $735 million annually, and help relieve congestion along the Yangtze River.
The route begins at China's Pingtang River estuary in Hengzhou along the country's southern coast. From there, it extends north to the town of Luwu, before following the Qin River to the Gulf of Tonkin. Engineers also built three locks along the route to help overcome a 213-foot difference in elevation between the river estuary and sea level. The locks can reportedly be opened and closed within 90 seconds, which would make them up to four times faster than conventional ship locks.
The trial navigation was made on August 7 by a 150-foot-long Chinese patrol boat. Scheduled to open in September, the canal will be capable of handling vessels as long as 395 feet, and weighing up to 5,500 tons.
