An aerial view of the Zhoushan port area. [Photo/www.wifizs.cn]

The Zhoushan port area of Ningbo-Zhoushan Port reported a total cargo throughput of more than 361 million metric tons from January to June this year, up 0.71 percent year-on-year, according to the Zhoushan municipal authority of port and shipping. 

In addition, container throughput surged by 30.6 percent to over 2.158 million twenty-foot equivalent units during the same period.

Jintang Dapukou Container Terminal, the largest container terminal in the Zhoushan port area, handled 1.748 million TEUs in the first half, marking a 50.4 percent increase year-on-year.

It currently operates 22 remote-controlled quay cranes, 64 automated rail-mounted gantry cranes, and 33 smart container trucks. These upgrades have significantly boosted operational efficiency, with each automated crane handling up to 35 TEUs per hour.

Cargo performance by category also showed strong growth. Coal throughput rose 2.84 percent to 22.468 million tons, petroleum and natural gas reached 75.743 million tons, up 3.93 percent, and chemicals climbed 19.47 percent to 14.239 million tons.

Authorities plan to expand the use of digital and smart port technologies in the second half to sustain growth.