The nickel-cobalt hydroxide is taken off from the cargo ship Ever Blessing in Zhoushan. [Photo/zhoushan.cn]

The Panama-flagged cargo ship Ever Blessing berthed at the comprehensive bonded zone terminal in Zhoushan, East China's Zhejiang province, on June 5, representing a watershed moment.

The arrival marked the city's first-ever import of nickel-cobalt hydroxide — a critical raw material used in the new energy sector.

The nearly 5,000-metric-ton shipment, valued at 1.2 billion yuan ($167 million), is poised to energize Zhoushan's emerging new energy industry cluster.

The material, classified as Class 9 hazardous goods, will be used by manufacturer JTEnergy Company to produce ternary lithium battery cathode materials, widely applied in the electric vehicles sector.

The shipment can be processed into 4,500 tons of high-value battery-grade nickel sulfate.

To ensure smooth operations, Zhoushan's maritime authorities worked proactively with the stakeholders — reviewing safety protocols, assessing equipment, and confirming packaging compliance.

Customs, maritime, and border inspection departments coordinated closely to streamline the clearance procedures. The bonded terminal, originally handling general cargo, has now been upgraded to meet hazardous materials standards.

"This marks a significant breakthrough," said Xu Chi, deputy general manager of the bonded terminal. "We've transformed into a hazardous goods-capable port, ready to handle not just imports but future exports as well — projecting an annual increase of 400,000 tons in cargo throughput."

The shipment's arrival signals a major milestone for Zhoushan's new energy industry supply chain, with JTEnergy's project forecasted to generate annual output worth 10 billion yuan — fueling an integrated cluster spanning wind, solar, grid and storage technologies.