China has started construction of the CNY 77.2bn ($11.3bn) Three Gorges new waterway project in Yichang, Hubei province, to expand shipping capacity on the Yangtze River, according to Xinhua.
Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, launched construction at a ceremony on June 8.
The project includes a five-tier, dual-track ship lock north of the existing lock at the Three Gorges Dam and upgrades to navigation facilities at a smaller downstream dam.
The new lock is expected to become the world’s largest inland ship lock. Once completed, the project will almost double annual throughput capacity at the Three Gorges to 336m tonnes.
The scheme is intended to address rising shipping demand on the Yangtze, the world’s third-longest river. It is also the first major project to break ground during China’s 15th Five-Year Plan period, which runs from 2026 to 2030.
The Three Gorges Dam is the world’s largest water conservancy project.