Shanghai Exceeds 50 Million TEU for the First Time

Chinese officials reported that the Shanghai Port complex reached 50 million TEU for the first time on December 22. They said the port would exceed the 50 million TEU mark as it continues its position as the world’s busiest seaport for the 15th consecutive year.

Container operations at the port began in 1978 when they handled just 7,951 TEU. The port reached 1 million TEU in 1994 and has continued its rapid expansion. Throughput exceeded 10 million TEU in 2003 and has continued its sequential growth. The 40 million mark was reached in 2017 and last year the port handled 49.16 million TEU.

Port officials point to the broad network and development of infrastructure as contributing to the continued growth. At present, they report he Shanghai Port has nearly 350 international routes, covering more than 700 ports in more than 200 countries. The port cooperates with 22 ports in the Chinese provinces and cities along the Yangtze River, including 16 ports in the Yangtze River Delta.

Emphasizing the regional leadership of Shanghai, they reported the port’s water-to-water transshipment ratio is expected to exceed 60 percent, a record high. In addition, they have developed a network of sea-rail transport connections for containers. The service was launched in 2019 and at present, 10 routes are running daily. They expect 2024 to exceed 900,000 TEU on the sea-rail connection reporting volume increased by about 40 percent year-on-year.

Automation is a key part of the port’s ability to handle the massive volume of containers. They highlighted the use of fully automated unmanned guided vehicles. The port is also expanding its use of digitalization. In 2017 the port launched the Yangshan Phase IV automated terminal which has handled 35 million TEU in the past seven years. Officials reported that compared to a traditional terminal, personnel has been reduced by 70 percent while overall efficiency increased by 30 percent.

Further expansion started in August 2024, with the Luojing Container Terminal on the south bank of the Yangtze River estuary. It is the first time China has repurposed a coal and ore handling terminal for container operations. Phase I has four berths and an annual designed throughput of 2.6 million TEU.

They also highlight the port’s role in alternative energy for the shipping industry. Shanghai Port has completed bonded LNG bunkering operations for 125 international vessels. The total volume of LNG bunkered is 730,000 cbm with the port expected this year to handle 450,000 cbm, a 70 percent increase.

"By 2025, Shanghai Port will achieve regular green methanol bunkering,” announced Luo Wenbin, general manager of Shanghai Port Group Energy Company. “We are stepping up infrastructure construction, including the renovation and expansion of storage tank facilities. Currently, Shanghai Port has two LNG bunkering ships and one methanol bunkering ship, and one more ship of each type will be added in the future. By 2030, we hope to achieve the 'double hundred' goal of LNG bunkering capacity of 1 million cubic meters and green methanol bunkering capacity of 1 million tons."

Since 2023, the Shanghai Port has also been involved in the joint project to create a "green shipping corridor" with the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Hamburg. The effort continues to make progress aiming to become the first long-distance international green shipping corridor.