Ningbo

Size limits

LOA 400m, draught 22m, beam 62m, 324,993DWT.

Load line zone

Summer.

Tides

Tidal streams at Ningbo have a max rate of 2kts on the flood stream and 2-3kts on the ebb.

Strong winds between N and NE usually raise the water level in the river about 0.5m, above normal, in winter from December to March the water level is usually about 0.5m lower than in the summer months of August and September.

Deepest first. The draught is the largest any of the terminal's berths states; a dash means the source gives none.

Approach

The port is approached from the N, through Hangzhou Wan or from SE through Xiazhi Men, Tiazhou Men or the inshore passage and entered through Jintang Shuidao from the E.

There are two channels:

The S channel runs from Xiazhimen on the Zhoushan archipelago to the Beilun area through the Jintang waterway. It is 32km in length, over 30m in depth except for a 15km shallow section off Xiazhimen, which has recently been dredged from 18.2m to 22.1m in depth. This channel is now navigable by vessels of up to 250,000DWT at any time and vessels between 250,000 and 300,000DWT can enter the port on high tide.

The N channel starts from the lightship at Chang Jiang River estuary, passes Huaniao, Daji and Xiaoji before turning E to reach Beilun harbour through the Jintang waterway or turns SW into the Yongjiang River to reach Zhenhai and Ningbo. Vessels up to 25,000DWT can navigate this channel, max draught is 8.5m.

Port limits

The port limits include the Yongjiang River section down to Lingqiao bridge and the Xinjiang Bridge in the city area and the sea area S of a line between Xiepu Mountain and Taiping Mountain Lighthouse on the NW tip of Jintang Island and W of the line between Gongshan mountain on the SE tip of Jintang Island and the Tunizui Light Beacon on the N tip of Saxie Island.

The W limit of Ningbo Port extends from Dapeng Shan Light (30°04.99'N 121°49.32'E) to Xiepuniluo Shan (29°52.31'N 122°20.77'E) about 10nm WSW, to Lingqiao Bridge (29°52.14'N 122°33.33'E) on Yongjiang River. The E limit is a line joining Tunimen Dao Light (29°57.42'N 122°57.90'E) to the SE point of Jingtang Dao (30°01.00'N 122°52.75'E).

Traffic schemes and VTS

Xiazhi Men Deep Water Channel:

The owners, operators or agents of large vessels planning to use the Deep Water Channel must report to Ningbo VTS 72 hours prior to the vessel's arrival, or prior to departure of the previous port if less than 72 hours distant. Further reports should be made in the event of changes to the Sailing Plan.

Large vessels raising anchor in the oil tanker or mineral carrier anchorages outside of Xiazhi Men and using the Deep Water Channel to enter port must report to Ningbo VTS before raising anchor. Other vessels using the Deep Water Channel must report to Ningbo VTS 30 minutes before entering the channel.

Vessels inside or within 2nm of the Deep Water Channel must maintain a continuous listening watch on VHF Ch 08 and 16, and comply with instructions from the port.

Anchorages

Daxie Dao: In good weather, vessels may anchor W of Daxie Dao (29°55.00'N 121°58.00'E) outside the entrance bar to the passage separating the island from the mainland, in 13m to 22m, mud.

Dapeng Shan: The narrow channel between the spit and islet extending S of Dapeng Shan (30°04.50'N 121°50.00'E) and the NW coast of Jintang Dao, provides an anchorage for small vessels in a typhoon. There are depths from 5.8m to 10.4m in mid-channel from the S entrance as far as the E point of Dapeng Shan, where the channel is obstructed by a ridge of rocks.

The N entrance of the channel is shoal. There is room for several small vessels drawing no more than 4.9m, but it is necessary to moor. The tidal streams attain a rate of 3kn and, at spring tides, there are numerous eddies in the channel when the surging of a vessel at her moorings tends to strain her cables.

Ningbo River: Vessels can moor in mid stream at Ningbo in depths of 6.4m to 9.1m. As the total width of swinging room is only about 183m, it is advisable to have a taut moor, with four shackles on the upstream cable and three shackles on the downstream cable. After heavy rain inland the outgoing stream often runs for 12 hours and vessels do not swing to the ingoing stream at all, however this does not appreciably affect the time of HW.

Restrictions

When in Yong Jiang vessels must not exceed a speed of 8kts when travelling upstream and 6kts downstream. Large vessels must be at their minimum speed.

Vessels crossing the river must give way to vessels in the fairway and maintain a distance of at least 200m from the stem of vessels travelling in the fairway.

Vessels over 1,000t are prohibited from overtaking other vessels in designated areas.

Towing vessels shall maintain at least 1.5kts while travelling upstream.

Anchoring is prohibited at bends in the river, or in the middle of the fairway. Anchoring is not permitted outside official anchorage areas.

Fishing in fairways, anchorage and port areas is prohibited. Navigation trials, lifeboat drills and speed tests are also prohibited in the VTS area without prior approval.

Controlling Depths:

From N via Xihou Men: Least depth of 13.1m. From N via Qili Zhi area: Least depth of 6.8m.

Yong Jiang: 5.1m below Zhaobaoshan Great Bridge: 30m above the bridge to Zhenia. Vessels can cross the bar and proceed to an anchorage off Zhenhai (29°57.10'N 121°41.90'E) with a max draught of 6.1m at HW springs and with a max draught of 5.6m at HW neaps. Vessels with an LOA 110m and 5.6m draught, can proceed upriver to Ningbo.

Vertical Clearances:

Xihou Men Bridge, between SW point of Cezi Dao (38°05.80'N 121°58.30'E) to Jintang Dao, vertical clearance 47m.

Jiao Men (29°58.30'N 121°48.10'E) power cable, vertical clearance 20m.

Chuanshangang Xikou Bridge: 21m. Power cables to E, lowest vertical clearance is 39m.

Yong Jiang Bridges and overhead power cables span the Yong Jiang. The least vertical clearances below bridges are as follows:

Zhaobaoshan Great Bridge: 32m (29°57.72'N 121°43.52'E).

Yong Jian Bridge: 3.0m (29°52.63'N 121°33.48'E).

Jiangxia Bridge: 4.3m (29°52.38'N 121°33.39'E).

Ling Bridge: 4.8m (30°03.65'N 121°48.25'E).

No vertical clearances are known for Jingtang Great Bridge (30°03.65'N 121°48.25'E) opened in 2009 and the new bridge across Chuangshangang Xikou (29°54.70'N 121°55.70'E).

Tugs

There are 3 x 4,200hp, 1 x 3,400hp and 4 x 3,200hp tugs available.

Charts and publications

BA 1592, 1304, 1199, 1579, 2946. Admiralty Pilot NP32, NP286(6).

ETA and pre-arrival notices

The Master should advise of the vessel's ETA to the state agent, or through the local agent to the state agency, 72, 48 and 24 hours prior to the vessel's arrival at the pilot station. The ETA message should include the time and date of the vessel's arrival and sea/fresh water draughts.

If there is any dangerous cargo onboard, the Master should also report details of that cargo including description, packaging, IMO code and gross/net weight.

Should the vessel's ETA or other circumstances change, prior to arrival, the Master should send further messages.

Communications

Ningbo Radio, callsign "XSN", works 474, 500, 512, 4222 and 8592kHz. Station operates throughout 24 hours.

Ningbo Port Control: VHF: Ch 16, 09 and 13.

Port Authority: Tel: +86 574 7695142, Fax: +86 574 7695233. Website: http://www.nbport.com.cn

Ningbo Pilot Station: VHF: Ch 16, 09 (14 via local agent). Tel: +86 574 2769 1291, Fax: +86 574 2769 1794. Email: [email protected].

Vessel Traffic Service (see also Traffic Scheme Section): VHF: Ch 06, 16 for area bounded by Reporting Lines L3, L4, L5, L7 and L8 and Ch 08, 16 for remaining areas. Broadcasts by VTS: Ch 08, 20.

Sinoagent Ningbo: VHF Ch 74. Tel: +86 574 8680 1547, Fax: +86 574 8680 1546.

Penavico: VHF: Ch 12.

Standard messages

The vessel's agent will send instructions to inbound vessels through the coast radio station being used or via Inmarsat. The instructions usually include the time and position of the pilot boarding. The Master is required to confirm receipt of messages to avoid delays to the vessel.

Notice of readiness

Normally NOR should be tendered according to the relevant clause in the charter party. If there is no special clause then it should be tendered according to the actual working hours of the port.

Documents

Note: In the above table LA = local agent, IM = Immigration office, CH = Customs House, QI = Quarantine Inspection office, AP = Animal and Plant Inspection office, HM = Harbour Master.

Health

When a vessel departs its previous port, prior to calling at a Chinese port, it should apply for pratique by radio.

Once the vessel arrives in port, the Quarantine officer boards to carry out an inspection.

Before pratique is granted, the vessel must fly the Interco "Q" flag and no crew are allowed to proceed ashore.

Ship Sanitation Control and Exemption Certificates can be renewed in all Chinese ports licensed for handling international vessels.

Customs and immigration

Allowances: The allowances for officers and crew are 2 cartons of cigarettes and 2 bottles of liquid which must be included in the Crew's Effects Declaration to the Customs House. There is a penalty for non compliance. The punishment for additional liquids varies according to the brand.

Immigration: Shore Passes are issued to each crew member after the Master has submitted/shown all the necessary documentation required to the Immigration officer. This includes General Declaration, Crew's Effects Declaration, Crew List and passports.

Crew are allowed to proceed ashore with a Shore Pass and their passport. All crew must be back onboard by 2359hrs. The crew are restricted to the city area and will be fined if they proceed outside this area. All foreign crew members should obey all the laws and practices of the PRC.

Flags

The national flag of the PRC, which is not old, damaged or colour faded, must be displayed in addition to normal Interco flags. Other flags are not to be displayed without permission from the Harbour Master.

Port State Control here: Tokyo MOU.

Running now: the Paris and Tokyo MOU concentrated inspection campaign on cargo securing, 1 September to 30 November 2026. Its questions are published: the questionnaire.

ISPS

ISPS Designated Authority: Ministry of Transportation and Communications, Department of Water Transportation.

Contact: Senior Marine Officer.

Address: 11 Jian Guo Men Nei Av, Beijing, 100736, China.

Tel: +86 01 652 92626.

Fax: +86 01 652 92642.

Email: [email protected]

For further ISPS information see IMO website http://www.imo.org

Repairs

There are a number of ship repair yards in the port.

Bunkers, water and stores

Ningbo: Fresh water and stores are available from the berths and anchorage.

Bunkering: Available.

Crew change

Possible.

Transport

Airport: Ningbo City, Lishe International Airport.

Railways: National rail link from Ningbo port.

Working hours

The port works throughout 24 hours, on a three shift basis regardless of holidays and festivals. Shift 1; 0800-1600hrs, shift 2; 1600-2359hrs, shift 3; 0001-0800hrs.

Where it is

Ningbo is situated in the N part of the East China Sea in Hangzhou Bay on the junction of the SW and NW branches of the Yong Jiang River.

The port

Ningbo has merged with Zhoushan port and is now controlled by the Ningbo-Zhoushan Port Authority. (See also Zhoushan Port information).

Beilun, Zhenhai, Meishan and Daxie are subport areas of Ningbo.

Ningbo is a multi-functional and comprehensive modern deepwater port integrated by inner river port, estuary port and sea port. Presently, the port has over 300 productive berths, including 60 x 10,000DWT or above, deep water berths.

The main cargoes handled by the port are crude oil, coal, iron ore, fertilisers, grain, timber, metals, cement, salt, general, containers and chemicals.

Traffic

Approx 1,300,000,000t of cargo and 35,000,000TEUs merged traffic figure with Zhoushan Port handled annually.

Ningbo - Approx 670,000,000t of cargo, 32,302,000TEU, 63,328,000t of coal, 111,451,000t of iron ore and 1,900,000 passengers, are handled annually.

What are the pilot arrangements at Ningbo?

Foreign vessels or vessels calling for the first time, or vessels over 1,000DWT must use a pilot to pass under Jintang Great Bridge.

What time zone is Ningbo in?

Local time at Ningbo is UTC+8. No summer time.

What is the maximum draft at Ningbo?

The deepest berth listed is at Ningbo Beilun Chemicals: 20.20 m maximum draught. The "Max draft per terminal" table gives each terminal's figure.

Which load line zone is Ningbo in?

Summer.

Who carries out Port State Control at Ningbo?

Port State Control at Ningbo: Tokyo MOU.

What is the UN/LOCODE of Ningbo?

The UN/LOCODE of Ningbo is CNNBO.

What crews who called at Ningbo say: pilot boarding, the agent's papers, inspections, shore leave. Each tip is shown with the writer's rank and ship type, and an AI summary sits on top once there are three or more.

Read and add tips for Ningbo →