Shanghai, December 22 (Xinhua) -- On December 22, with a container successfully lifted from an ocean liner docked at Yangshan Port, Shanghai Port's container throughput exceeded 50 million TEUs in 2024, becoming the world's first container terminal to break through the 50 million mark.

The continuous growth of container throughput highlights the position of Shanghai Port as a world-class shipping hub. Data shows that currently, Shanghai Port has nearly 350 international shipping routes, covering over 700 ports in more than 200 countries and regions worldwide. The construction of an international shipping network continues to enhance Shanghai Port's ability to allocate global shipping resources, as well as the aggregation and improvement of functions such as shipping finance, insurance, and international maritime arbitration. This has helped Shanghai International Shipping Center maintain its position among the top three global shipping center cities in terms of comprehensive strength for five consecutive years.

Yang Yanbin, Deputy General Manager of the Production Business Department of Shanghai Port Group, introduced that this year, the growth of Shanghai Port's container throughput is mainly due to the continuous growth of foreign trade export heavy containers, international transit containers, and water transfer volume.

In recent years, the deep cooperation between Shanghai Port and ports along the Yangtze River Delta and even the Yangtze River Economic Belt has further facilitated logistics channels, formed basin advantages, leveraged port cluster functions, and continued to leverage hinterland advantages. Yang Yanbin said, "By 2024, the proportion of water conversion in Shanghai Port is expected to reach 60%, a historic high, and the hub function of Shanghai Port will be further enhanced

Wisdom and green are important directions for the leapfrog development of global ports. The Yangshan Phase IV automated terminal belonging to Shanghai Port has been put into operation, which not only helps to further increase the container volume of Shanghai Port, but also contributes the "China solution" of smart terminals to global ports.

The results of the 'Key Technology Research and Application of Yangshan Phase IV Super Large Automated Container Terminal' project have been replicated and applied in 14 domestic and foreign terminals, "said Huang Heng, General Manager of Nezha Technology of Shanghai Port Group In terms of green development, Shanghai Port has achieved normalized LNG refueling and successfully completed ship to ship synchronous refueling of green methanol fuel for large container ships.