An aerial view of a vessel pollutant reception dock in WEDZ. [Photo/Hubei Daily]
Wuhan Economic & Technological Development Zone (WEDZ) has introduced an advanced vessel waste management system to tackle pollution along the Yangtze River.
At the heart of this initiative is the "WEDZ Transportation 01", a specialized vessel designed to collect and transfer waste from ships navigating the river.
The vessel’s mission is to collect and transport waste and sewage from both stationary and moving vessels along the river, servicing over 20 key locations, including major docks and anchorages such as the Hannan Port Ro-Ro Terminal and the Wuhan Channel Shipyard Dock.
Solid waste is collected in categorized bins on the ship's deck and transported ashore for processing. Sewage management, a more complex task, is handled in two ways: vessels dock at designated ports where sewage is collected and transferred via the "Ship E-Line" system, or the "WEDZ Transportation 01" collects it and transports it to reception docks.
"WEDZ Transportation 01" has collected and transferred 1,251 cubic meters of sewage and 8,432 kilograms of garbage in the first five months of this year alone. Dock facilities have processed 1,447 cubic meters of sewage.
These efforts recently gained attention when a playful Yangtze finless porpoise was spotted near the docks, highlighting the project’s ecological benefits. "Seeing the porpoises playing makes all the hard work worthwhile," said a team member, emphasizing the environmental impact of their efforts.
