Three Gorges Ship Lift's 2026 Planned Maintenance Outage Begins

en.Wedoany.com Reported - At 8:00 on August 18, as the maintenance stop-log gates at the upper and lower lock heads were lowered in an orderly manner, the Three Gorges Ship Lift's 2026 planned maintenance outage (hereinafter referred to as the "maintenance") was officially launched. This maintenance marks the sixth planned outage since the ship lift passed its completion acceptance, with a scheduled duration of no more than 42 days.

The maintenance covers 68 major items across 7 categories, including hydraulic and electrical systems. Among these, the Changjiang Three Gorges Navigation Administration (hereinafter referred to as the "Three Gorges Administration") is responsible for 11 major items and 28 self-maintenance tasks. Additionally, it will handle operations such as dewatering by gate lowering and water filling by gate lifting during the initial and final phases, while also providing coordination support for other major maintenance items.

To ensure the smooth execution of this maintenance, the Three Gorges Administration made early preparations and steadily advanced all preparatory work. In terms of navigation organization, a maintenance notice was issued in advance, policies were proactively communicated to guide shipping and port enterprises along the river in scientifically adjusting their transportation and production plans, and coordination with maritime agencies along the river was strengthened to ensure orderly and stable navigation order in the hub waters. In terms of construction preparation, inspections of the maintenance gate slots at the upper and lower lock heads were carried out in advance, and preventive maintenance was conducted on key equipment such as the lock head gantry cranes, the top machine room maintenance gantry crane, sump submersible pumps, and maintenance power distribution boxes, laying a solid foundation for the safe and efficient implementation of the major maintenance items.

It is understood that since its trial navigation in September 2016, as of August 17, 2026, the Three Gorges Ship Lift has cumulatively handled nearly 22 million tons of cargo and transported over 2.65 million passengers.