On August 14, under the supervision of officers from the Gaolan Immigration Inspection Station of the Zhuhai Immigration Inspection General Station, the Marshall Islands-flagged vessel “Bahaiya,” having unloaded over 90,000 tons of imported LNG (liquefied natural gas), slowly departed from the LNG terminal at Gaolan Port in Zhuhai, Guangdong. This marked the 444th LNG carrier efficiently cleared by the Gaolan Immigration Inspection Station, facilitating the unloading of more than 30 million tons of LNG energy since the commencement of operations at CNOOC Jinwan “Green Energy Port.”
LNG, primarily composed of methane, is recognized as the cleanest fossil fuel on Earth. In 2021, China imported 81.4 million tons of LNG, becoming the world’s largest LNG importer for the first time. As the only onshore gas source point on the west bank of the Pearl River under the China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), Jinwan “Green Energy Port” is located in the core hinterland of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. The imported natural gas unloaded here is continuously distributed through an extensive pipeline network to households, gas-fired power plants, steel factories, and other users across the Greater Bay Area, making it a key player in ensuring energy security for the region and South China.
“LNG requires transportation and storage under ultra-low temperatures, and its inspection and unloading processes demand strict continuity and timeliness,” explained Hu Yuxi, captain of the Second Duty Team at the Gaolan Immigration Inspection Station. To address the characteristics of LNG carriers—such as large gross tonnage, high regulatory requirements, and numerous personnel involved in loading and unloading—the station proactively coordinates with the Zhuhai LNG terminal and shipping agencies to understand clearance needs, tailoring a “one-vessel-one-policy” service plan. Dedicated personnel are assigned to handle crew boarding procedures and approvals for entering restricted port areas.
Upon the arrival of imported LNG carriers, the Gaolan Immigration Inspection Station enhances information sharing and collaboration with customs, maritime authorities, and other functional departments. By relocating service windows, optimizing police deployment, forming task-specific teams, and streamlining inspection procedures, the station enables “one-stop” processing of border inspection formalities, including hull inspections, identity verification, and document checks. This ensures LNG carriers experience “zero waiting” for port operations and “zero delay” for departure clearance, facilitating timely unloading and production. During operations, the station intensifies dock patrols and maintains full vessel supervision to ensure safe and smooth operations.
These pragmatic service measures by the Gaolan Immigration Inspection Station not only strengthen clearance safeguards for the stable operation of Jinwan “Green Energy Port” but also inject strong momentum into the Greater Bay Area’s energy transition and the achievement of “dual carbon” goals with the “speed of immigration inspection.”
