On August 13 at 1:00 p.m., the vessel "Legendary Loyalty," carrying 75,000 cubic meters of liquefied natural gas (LNG), safely and steadily docked at the Shanghai Puhang Oil Terminal under the full escort and precise control of the Pudong Maritime Bureau. This effectively alleviated the energy reserve gap caused by a nine-day vessel control period due to typhoon impact, injecting critical momentum into the city's gas supply.
As the remnant circulation of Typhoon "White Dolphin" gradually moved away from Shanghai's waters, regional winds and swells continued to weaken, and navigational conditions steadily recovered. The Shanghai Maritime Bureau lifted the control on vessels under 80 meters at 5:00 a.m. on the 13th. After the control was lifted, numerous small vessels that had been backlogged entered and exited the port in a concentrated manner, causing a sharp surge in maritime traffic flow. Risks such as waterway congestion and vessel collisions escalated dramatically, pushing the navigational pressure during the port's post-typhoon resumption to a peak.
LNG vessels, classified as high-risk bulk liquid cargo ships, are characterized by their large hulls, significant maneuverability inertia, and extensive blind spots in the wheelhouse. In a dense shipping environment, they face high safety risks during navigation and docking. These vessels were the core control targets and priority focus for the Pudong Maritime Bureau during the post-typhoon clearance and supply assurance efforts.
According to a representative from the Pudong Maritime Bureau, to efficiently balance energy supply assurance, water safety, and port resumption work, the bureau scientifically formulated a "three-tier" classification-based clearance and control plan. Strictly adhering to the navigation principle of "livelihood first, large vessels first, small vessels follow," it implemented graded sorting, time-phased guidance, and batch-based port entry for backlogged vessels, precisely balancing supply efficiency with navigational safety.
Focusing on the primary task of ensuring livelihood energy supply, the Pudong Maritime Bureau proactively coordinated with ports, terminals, dispatching units, and other parties to accurately map the dynamics, berthing and unberthing plans, and operational needs of the first-tier LNG vessels. It tailored exclusive escort plans for key energy vessels, employing a "one vessel, one policy" approach. The bureau specifically dispatched the patrol vessel "Haixun 0102" for full-route cruising and escort, establishing an "express lane" green channel to guide surrounding vessels in real-time.
Simultaneously, through high-frequency broadcasts, on-site hailing, and dynamic warnings, it continuously reminded passing vessels to enhance lookout, reduce speed, and actively yield, strictly regulating the navigational behavior of nearby vessels to ensure the safe, efficient, and smooth entry and docking of LNG vessels.
On the basis of fully guaranteeing the navigation and operations of key energy vessels, the Pudong Maritime Bureau relied on an intelligent maritime surveillance system combined with on-site patrols to monitor all vessel movements in the area in real-time. It orderly advanced the tiered clearance efforts for the second and third groups of vessels, fully activating the momentum for port resumption. For the second-tier large vessels, the focus was on ensuring the transport of key production materials, such as bulk cargo and containers. By utilizing the intervals between energy supply vessel operations, it guided batches of large cargo vessels to enter and operate in an orderly manner, smoothing the transport channels for the supply chain and industrial chain. For the third-tier small vessels, including operational boats, passenger boats, and auxiliary craft, it closely tracked their navigation dynamics, strengthened on-site clearance control, and strictly prevented violations such as forced overtaking or arbitrary lane changes, comprehensively regulating the water traffic order in the area.