As of December 31, 2023, Xiangjiaba Ship Lift, which is also known as the "overhead lift" in the Jinsha River, had been cumulatively realized safe navigation for 339 days. With 4,381 operations, it served 4,048 vessels with a total capacity of 1.95 million tons, thus reaching a record high in terms of annual cargo volume, annual navigation days, and annual number of passing vessels.

Xiangjiaba Hydropower Plant, which is affiliated to CYPC, is responsible for managing the operation of the ship lift. Over the years, Xiangjiaba Hydropower Plant has always adhered to the principle of "accurate control, lean operation and meticulous maintenance", endeavored to ensure efficient management of Xiangjiaba Ship Lift, further expanded the function of the Yangtze River as a "golden waterway", thus pushing forward the coordinated economic growth in the regions along the Yangtze River.

Xiangjiaba Ship Lift staff boldly take the lead in safeguarding the navigation in the Jinsha River

Xiangjiaba Ship Lift is the second giant ship lift after the Three Gorges Ship Lift. In order to better manage the ship lift, the Ship Lift Team of Xiangjiaba Hydropower Plant, By means of management and technical innovation, Xiangjiaba Hydropower Plant has developed the management mode featuring "integrated operation and maintenance, and fusion of different specialties", enhanced the equipment fault diagnosis and analysis as well as defect management, explored the ship draught control standards, implemented the navigation management mechanism characterized by "joint management by enterprise and local government", kept improving the operational stability of equipment, and promoted the navigation efficiency and vessel through capacity, thus realizing the high-density and safe operation of ship lift for an average of 330 days annually.

Demonstrate the advantages of navigation and boost economic growth via efficient transportation

Xiangjiaba Ship Lift has always provided the navigation services for vessels free of charge. With the help of Xiangjiaba Ship Lift, a thousand-ton cargo ship can "fly over" the over-100m high dam within about 40 minutes. Since September 2023, the navigation demand for Xiangjiaba Ship Lift has been gradually increased. By 2023, there were over 290 ships registered in the dispatching system of Xiangjiaba Ship Lift with daily navigation capacity reaching 11,790 tons and annual cargo capacity marking a year-on-year increase of 15.51%, thus significantly reinforcing the efficiency of Xiangjiaba Ship Lift as a navigation hub.

Stick to technical innovation to forge top-notch navigation service

Xiangjiaba Hydropower Plant responds actively to China's innovation-driven development strategy. Centering on equipment operation and maintenance, digitalization construction, and core technologies, and relying on the "Smooth Innovation Studio", it carries out researches and tackles difficult problems relating to the management of navigation facilities. To date, Xiangjiaba Hydropower Plant has successfully accomplished many scientific research projects, including the development of lubricating device for main reducer of driving system in large ship lift and a new-type escape ladder for ship lift chamber. As a result, it has achieved 103 patent licenses or software copyrights cumulatively. By sticking to technical innovation, Xiangjiaba Hydropower Plant guarantees the safe navigation of Xiangjiaba Ship Lift, and ensures the continuous improvement of navigational efficiency of the Jinsha River.

Xiangjiaba Ship Lift supports the direct shipping of cargo from the Jinsha River to the Yangtze River, thus promoting the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt. In the future, Xiangjiaba Hydropower Plant will, by adhering to its vision of "forging top-notch navigation service and setting industrial benchmark", give full play to its management functions, facilitate the safe and rational dispatching of vessels, and guarantee the safe operation of navigation equipment and facilities, thus bringing in new impetus for local economic growth.