The survey of the coastal public corridor's Yongjiang crossing section in Ningbo has been completed.

On October 30, the geophysical survey operation for the Yongjiang crossing section of the Phase I construction of the Ningbo Coastal Public Utility Corridor Platform was successfully completed in the main navigation channel of the Yongjiang River, providing important geological data support for subsequent construction design.

Connecting the "Three Zones" Chemical Material Transportation "Artery"

The Phase I project of the Ningbo Coastal Public Utility Corridor Platform is an important chemical material transportation channel connecting the Ningbo Petrochemical Zone, Qingzhi Chemical Zone, and Daxie Chemical Zone. The first phase of the project is approximately 13 kilometers long, with a total investment of about 2.1 billion yuan. It primarily transports 61 types of chemical materials, including crude oil, benzene, xylene, fuel oil, and hydrogen.

For a long time, the transportation of chemical materials and oil and gas pipelines between Zhenhai and Beilun has mainly relied on tank trucks via roads. With the continuous expansion of the city, a large number of hazardous material vehicles passing through not only increase logistics costs for enterprises but also pose certain safety risks and environmental pressures to urban operations. The construction of this coastal public utility corridor is an urgent requirement for Ningbo to build a trillion-yuan green petrochemical industrial cluster and prevent safety risks in the transportation of hazardous materials.

According to calculations, once the project is fully completed, the chemical materials in the Zhenhai, Beilun, and Daxie zones will achieve pipeline interconnectivity. Cargo previously transported by road will be moved through the underground utility corridor, reducing vehicular traffic by about 280,000 trips annually, saving approximately 300 acres of land, and saving over one billion yuan in logistics costs for along-the-route enterprises annually. In addition to reducing road congestion and traffic accident risks, the carbon reduction benefits from these 280,000 fewer trips are equivalent to planting more than 400,000 trees annually, strongly supporting the petrochemical industry in reducing logistics costs and achieving efficient operations, as well as promoting the green, low-carbon development of cities.

Overcoming the Survey Challenges of "No Navigation Suspension"

During the initial survey phase of construction, builders encountered tricky challenges. The Yongjiang crossing section of the project required probing five survey holes within the main navigation channel. If conventional drilling ship anchoring operations were used, the operational area would directly occupy the main navigation channel, which is only 160 meters wide.

The navigation channel in this section is located at the estuary area of the Yongjiang River and is a critical gateway for vessels entering and exiting the Zhenhai Port district and upstream Yongjiang docks, with an average daily vessel traffic of over 400. As the most important storage and transfer base for bulk liquid chemicals in East China, the Zhenhai Port district is surrounded by leading enterprises such as Zhejiang Petrochemical and Yisheng Petrochemical, playing a vital role in ensuring their continuous production.

Following conventional progress, completing these drilling operations would take considerable time, meaning the vital shipping artery would face long-term restrictions, significantly impacting port operations. To strike a balance between ensuring smooth navigation and advancing this major project, the Ningbo Maritime Authority jointly conducted special research with relevant units. After evaluation, it was finally decided to use "marine multi-channel seismic exploration technology" to replace traditional drilling. Operational vessels, without occupying the main navigation channel, adopted a "parallel + vertical" method of laying measurement lines to "scan" the submarine strata of the main navigation channel. The operation window was precisely chosen between 8:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. on October 30 during low tide periods.

During the construction process, a "sailing survey ship operation + upstream and downstream dual vigilant patrols" model was adopted on site, with two patrol boats placed about 100 meters upstream and downstream of the survey area. Simultaneously, the maritime authority deployed a "patrol boat + drone" three-dimensional escort, monitoring the dynamics of passing vessels in real time to prevent collisions, groundings, and other hazards. With the coordinated support of multiple parties, the operations on the day were safely and orderly implemented as planned, without causing prolonged impacts on navigation in the Yongjiang main channel.

It is understood that the project is expected to complete construction design by the end of 2026, start construction in early 2027, and be completed and put into use by the end of 2029. In the future, with the completion of this coastal public utility corridor, it will not only significantly increase the logistical efficiency of Ningbo's petrochemical industry and reduce safety and environmental risks but also inject stronger momentum into the high-quality development of the Ningbo-Zhoushan Port and urban construction.