50 Million TEUs! Shanghai Port Sets World Record for Annual Container Throughput

 

On the morning of December 22, 2024, at Shanghai Port’s Yangshan Phase IV Automated Terminal, a container draped in festive red and marked as “The 50 Millionth TEU of Shanghai Port’s Container Throughput in 2024” was smoothly lifted from an Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) by a remote-controlled quay crane and precisely loaded onto a deep-sea liner. This historic moment was reported by Gu Jinshan, Secretary of Party Committee and Chairman at Shanghai International Port Group, at a symposium on the development of the Shanghai International Shipping Center. Key leaders from the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee, Shanghai Municipal People's Government and the Ministry of Transport were present to witness this milestone. With this achievement, Shanghai Port’s annual container throughput has surpassed 50 million TEUs for the first time, setting a new global record in the history of port container transport. It is also expected to maintain its position in this regard for the 15th consecutive year. The attainment of the “50 million TEUs” milestone signifies a new stage in the development of the Shanghai International Shipping Center, marking the start of a new journey.

 

The continuous growth of container throughput highlights Shanghai Port’s status as a world-class shipping hub. The Shanghai International Shipping Center has ranked in the top three of the global shipping center for five consecutive years. Currently, Shanghai Port operates nearly 350 international shipping services, connecting over 700 ports in more than 200 countries and regions, with the port connectivity ranking first globally for 13 years in a row. Furthermore, Yangshan Port has topped the Global Container Port Performance Index (CPPI) for two consecutive years.

 

In 2024, Shanghai Port's international transshipment volume grew by more than 20% year-on-year, with annual transshipment expected to exceed 7 million TEUs. Additionally, with the strong support of authorities in customs, maritime, and border inspection, new business models such as cabotage of foreign trade containers, international consolidation, and the “9610” cross-border e-commerce model have emerged as new engines driving container volume growth. SIPG has deepened regional cooperation, partnering with 22 ports along the Yangtze River, including 16 ports in the Yangtze River Delta, strengthening synergies of port and shipping logistics between the home port and its hinterland. Furthermore, the continuous improvement of the port’s collection and distribution system has been robustly driving the container throughput growth. The water-to-water transshipment ratio at Shanghai Port is expected to reach 60%, a historic high. Currently, there are over 10 daily intermodal rail services, with expected annual throughput surpassing 900,000 TEUs, a YoY increase of about 40%, significantly improving the port’s connectivity with its hinterland. Shanghai Port’s ICT business has expanded to 15 inland terminals, integrating more than 10 inland barge operators, creating a high-density, stable inland waterway network, which enables the port to attract more cargoes from its hinterland.

 

SIPG continues to promote the development of digital intelligent and green, low-carbon ports. Shanghai Port has been continuously innovating in digitalization. Automated terminals such as Yangshan Phase IV integrated with “China’s core” ITOS and Luojing integrated with NEO-TOS, operate 24 hours a day. Smart heavy trucks travel seamlessly across the Donghai Bridge, and F5G technology enables "remote container operation" from over 100 kilometers away. Shanghai Port is actively advancing digital transformation to generally enhance operational efficiency and reduce logistics costs at the port. The International Container Transport Service Platform (Container Transport MaaS), jointly developed by the Shanghai Municipal Transportation Commission and SIPG, was officially launched in September 2024. This platform successfully established a logistics information network for sea-rail intermodal transport across nine provinces and 40 cities, solving the previous inconvenience of accessing different systems and platforms, improving information access efficiency, and realizing “one-stop query” services. In addition, various platforms such as the Shanghai Port Intelligent Command Center, online processing services, truck appointment system, electronic equipment interchange receipt (EIR), electronic delivery order (EDO), inland container terminal (ICT), and river-sea intermodal services are all powerful tools in promoting paperless, contactless, transparent, and convenient services. Shanghai Port’s container terminals are now fully equipped with shore power facilities, significantly increasing shore power usage, with estimated growth of 250% in ship calls and 200% in energy savings by the end of 2024. To date, Shanghai Port has completed 125 bonded LNG bunkering operations for international vessels, with a total bunkering volume of 730,000 cubic meters. LNG bunkering services are becoming regular services at the port, with expected annual bunkering volume reaching 450,000 cubic meters in 2024, a growth of over 70%. Shanghai Port is also on track to achieve full coverage of LNG bunkering for its container terminals. In April this year, Shanghai Port successfully completed the world’s first green methanol “ship-to-ship” bunkering operation for a large container vessel, marking a historic milestone for China. By 2025, Shanghai Port will establish regular green methanol bunkering services. Currently, Shanghai Port operates two LNG bunkering vessels and one methanol bunkering vessel, with plans to add one more of each soon. By 2030, the goal is to reach an LNG bunkering capacity of 1 million cubic meters and a green methanol bunkering capacity of 1 million tons, achieving a “double-million” target.

 

SIPG will continue to strengthen cooperation across the port and shipping industry chain, accelerate the enhancement of high-end shipping services, and optimize the allocation of global shipping resources. It will also build a clean energy bunkering hub at Shanghai Port, promoting the clustering of functions and the expansion of capacity at the Shanghai International Shipping Center.