WUHAN, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) — The prevention and control of ship pollution in the Sichuan to Anhui section of the Yangtze River trunk line has achieved key progress, according to the Yangtze River Maritime Safety Administration on Tuesday. Currently, nearly 3,300 fixed ship pollutant reception facilities and 183 mobile reception vessels have been deployed within the jurisdiction of the Yangtze River Maritime Safety Administration, achieving full coverage of pollutant reception at ports and anchorages along the Yangtze River.
In recent years, the Yangtze River maritime authorities have fully implemented the “zero discharge” mode for ship water pollutants, which involves “on-board storage and on-shore disposal,” across the Yangtze River trunk line. A total of 35,447 ships have undergone electronic sealing of their sewage discharge pipelines, with a sealing rate of 99.9% for outbound vessels. This has effectively blocked illegal discharge channels and promoted the on-shore disposal of pollutants.
“After the implementation of the ‘zero discharge’ mode, ship water pollutants are brought ashore for centralized disposal, effectively eliminating the phenomenon of illegal discharge into the river,” said a relevant official from the Yangtze River Maritime Safety Administration. This mode not only significantly reduces the cost of pollution control for ships but also decreases fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, achieving a win-win situation for ecological, economic, and social benefits.
On the basis of fully achieving “zero discharge” along the Yangtze River trunk line, the Yangtze River maritime authorities are actively promoting the extension of the “zero discharge” mode to the entire Yangtze River basin. It currently covers the Yangtze River trunk line (Sichuan to Anhui section) and 35 tributary navigable waters.
Meanwhile, the Yangtze River maritime authorities have officially launched a supervision and service information system for tank cleaning operations of hazardous chemical ships. The system fully covers 12 tank cleaning stations, 214 shipping companies, and 219 cargo owners within its jurisdiction, enabling intelligent management and control of personnel, units, and activities involved in tank cleaning. This effectively prevents the illegal discharge of tank cleaning water directly into the Yangtze River, addressing a短板 (shortcoming) in ship water pollution prevention and control.
According to statistics, from January to August this year, a total of 526,000 tons of ship water pollutants were received within the jurisdiction of the Yangtze River Maritime Safety Administration, with ship water pollutants basically being fully handed over as required. (End)
