Guangdong Port & Shipping Group Supports Opening of Pinglu Canal

According to the State‑owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of Guangdong Province, the Pinglu Canal has officially opened for navigation. It marks the first nationally‑coordinated river‑sea connecting canal project constructed since the founding of the People’s Republic of China. The waterway permits vessels of up to 5,000 tonnes, ranking as the highest‑grade navigation canal across the country.

Since construction work commenced, Guangdong Port & Shipping Group has mobilised its core business resources and professional expertise in port and shipping logistics. The group has made early preparations for shipping capacity deployment and cargo organisation, taking part in new route development, port‑shipping connection arrangements and the supply of environmentally‑friendly vessels. These efforts provide solid backing for direct river‑sea transport services after the canal opens.

Xinneng Shipping Company, a subsidiary under Guangdong Port & Shipping Group, specialises in inland waterway transport with LNG‑powered vessels. Its fleet delivers notable environmental gains compared with conventional diesel‑driven ships, matching the “green project” principles laid down for the Pinglu Canal. On 12 September, the company became the first shipping enterprise based in Guangdong to conduct trial navigation on the new canal. Two LNG‑fuelled vessels, Dafeng 3011 and Dafeng 3012, set off from Qinzhou Port in Guangxi loaded with petroleum coke and coal. 

They completed a heavy‑load trial voyage along the Pinglu Canal towards Liujing Town in Nanning. The trial run helped verify seagoing performance within the canal channel as well as navigation co‑ordination procedures, accumulating practical operational experience for formal opening.

Before the canal came into service, goods travelling from Qinzhou Port to Nanning mostly relied on road haulage or combined rail transport with multiple trans‑shipment steps and higher logistic costs. 

Following the opening, shipments from south‑western China heading for Southeast Asia will enjoy shorter transit distances and travel times, avoiding the longer detour via Guangzhou Port. Guangdong Port & Shipping Group will continue to develop transport services alongside the Pinglu Canal and support the Western New International Land‑Sea Trade Corridor.