At 1:48 a.m. on November 29 (Guinea local time), the Guinea Port Company of China Henan International Cooperation Group (CHICO) started its first shipment of monohydrallite after receiving the loading command. This marks the commencement of trial operations for Henan's first overseas port hub.
Along the Nunez River, the completely tested belt loading conveyor was activated first, asthe barge slowly approached and was successfully moored. Following a series of preparatory works, the enclosed belt conveyor system commenced loading and ran smoothly, steadily conveying ore into the ship's hold. Several hours later, loading operation was completed. The ore will first be transported by the barge along the inland waterways, then carried on an ocean going freighter before finally reaching China, thereby establishing a stable and efficient channel for China's raw material exports for the aluminum industry.
"This demonstrates that a sound logistics channel featuring 'mine + road + wharf + sea transportation' has been successfully established, representing an important milestone for Henan's deeper engagement in the BRI and the 'going global' initiative, and a golden waterway linking Henan with Africa," said an official from CHICO.
The Guinea port, located in the inland-berth cluster in the Boké region, is adjacent to CHICO's own mines. It means that CHICO now boasts a capability of self-production, self-transportation and self-management, a complete operation model. The first phase of the port will include two berths for 12,000-ton ships, equipped with a modern, intelligent conveyor and loading system, capable of handling 10 million tons of cargo annually. Thanks to the group's highly coordinated logistics system, ore transport efficiency and supply stability have been markedly increased. (Chinese source: Henan Daily Reporter: Song Min Correspondent: Niu Yuetian Translator: Yang Jiaxin Proofreader: Jiao Dan and Zhao Hanqing)
