On the morning of August 12, the 400,000-ton ultra-large bulk carrier "Saham" arrived at Zhanjiang Port, fully loaded with iron ore, under the escort of the Zhanjiang maritime authorities. The vessel's arrival provides strong support for the stability of the regional steel industry chain and marks a new step in Zhanjiang's maritime efforts to implement high-quality port development measures and enhance navigation services for ultra-large vessels.
The "Saham" measures 360 meters in length, 65 meters in width, with a draft of 22.9 meters, and its deck area is equivalent to 55 standard basketball courts. On this voyage, it carried 392,458 tons of iron ore from Ponta Ubu Port in Brazil to Zhanjiang Port. Such ultra-large ships face significant operational constraints when fully loaded, including occupying large channel space, having strong navigational inertia, complex harbor water conditions, and long berthing operations, all compounded by safety risks such as vessel crossings, channel obstacles, and small construction vessel interference, making the overall navigation support task extremely challenging.
To ensure maritime safety, Zhanjiang maritime authorities strictly implemented the "one core, two escorts, three management" regulatory standard for large vessels. The command center employed a "one vessel, one discussion" work mechanism, convened a special meeting to assess navigation risks, and refined a comprehensive support plan. A three-dimensional regulatory model was established, combining "smart remote control, drone aerial surveillance, and maritime patrol vessel on-site escort" to achieve full-chain navigation control. During the "Saham" entry, the vessel traffic center implemented temporary one-way navigation traffic control, suspended unrelated vessel entries and exits, cleared construction vessels from the channel, and avoided vessel crossing risks from the source. A dedicated monitoring window was set for full-track vessel entry monitoring, using AIS, radar, and other information technology to track the vessel's position, speed, and course in real-time. Navigation warnings were broadcast via VHF, providing nearby vessel dynamic information and alerting the large vessel to navigation safety at critical turning points.
The Xiashan Maritime Office's "Marine Patrol 09061" and the Donghai Island Maritime Office's "Marine Patrol 09047" arrived early at the main channel and key basin waters for patrol work. Authorities removed fishing vessels, nets, and floating debris that posed navigation hazards. The two maritime offices conducted segmented and zoned escort operations, focusing on monitoring commercial-fishing vessel intersection areas, preventing small vessels from crossing the giant ship's route at close range, and promptly addressing various emergencies in the channel, thereby strengthening the final line of defense for maritime navigation safety.