"Ten-thousand-ton ships 'climb stairs' over the dam The Three Gorges New Channel unlocks a new navigational look."

On June 8, the Three Gorges Water Transport New Channel Project officially started construction in Yichang City, Hubei Province. This is the first major landmark project started during the 11th Five-Year Plan in China. The Three Gorges Water Transport New Channel Project includes the new channel of the Three Gorges hub and the navigation capacity expansion of the Gezhouba Dam. Currently, the mainstream navigation ship type of the Three Gorges ship lock is the 5000-ton class, while this new channel can accommodate large ships of tens of thousands of tons, with an overall annual throughput capacity of 3.36 billion tons. While improving navigation efficiency, the shipping cost of tens of thousands of tonnage vessels can also be reduced by about 30%. After completion, the Three Gorges hub will form a pattern of four ship locks and lift ship machines, with the largest water level drop of 113 meters between upstream and downstream. These vessels will ascend and descend steadily step by step like climbing stairs, ensuring safe navigation all year round.