At 4:00 a.m. on June 1, pilots in Hong Kong boarded “Eureka Maersk”. The vessel arrived at YANTIAN via Mirs Bay under its one-time pilotage service.

With the support of Shenzhen Municipal Government, Bureau of Transport of Shenzhen Municipality, Office of Port of Entry and Exit of Shenzhen Municipality, maritime administration, customs, frontier inspection and other government departments, "one-time pilotage”e has been carried out in Mirs Bay since June 1.

According to the Framework Agreement on the Pilotage Cooperation in Mirs Bay signed between Transport Bureau of Shenzhen Municipality and the Marine Department of the Hong Kong SAR, Shenzhen-Hong Kong pilotage cooperation in Mirs Bay started at 00:00 on June 1 and pilots from the Shenzhen Pilotage Station or the Hong Kong Pilotage Association provide one-time pilotage service in the water area of Shenzhen and Hong Kong in Mirs Bay.

Proactively promoting the mutual recognition of pilotage qualifications and the one-time pilotage in Mirs Bay demonstrate the deepening maritime cooperation in the Greater Bay Area. They also enhance the leading role of the Greater Bay Area in the national economic development and opening-up. Under the pilotage cooperation, the Shenzhen Pilotage Station handles pilotage applications of vessels, and is responsible for arranging and assigning pilotage. The two sides independently assign pilots with pilotage qualification recognised by both Shenzhen and Hong Kong to complete pilotage tasks.

Shortening the waiting time and staying-at-the-port time

Shenzhen-Hong Kong pilotage cooperation plays an important role in ensuring the navigation safety in the waters of Mirs Bay, and also shortens the waiting time for calling vessels, significantly improving the efficiency of terminal operations and reducing the idle time of berths.

Saving navigation costs

Shenzhen-Hong Kong pilotage cooperation can substantially save the navigation, vessel chartering and fuel costs.

Because of its unique geographical advantages, the shipping industry has become an important pillar of the economic development in the Greater Bay Area. Therefore, it is vital for maritime authorities in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau to work together to protect the marine traffic safety in the Greater Bay Area and promote the safe and green development of the shipping industry. Shenzhen-Hong Kong pilotage cooperation is a significant breakthrough in the integrated development port and shipping sectors in the Greater Bay Area, which can ensure the smooth flow of vessel traffic, facilitate the efficient flow of logistics, and give impetus to the high-quality port development in the Greater Bay Area, promoting the development of an international logistics hub.

YANTIAN has long been committed to promoting the synergistic and high-quality development of ports in the Greater Bay Area. With the support of governments at all levels, customs and other port supervisory authorities, YANTIAN has launched the YANTIAN - Huizhou Port Alliance and the Yantian - Dongguan Port Alliance. In the future, YANTIAN will continue to promote the integrated development of the port and shipping industry in the Greater Bay Area to enhance the international competitiveness of the port group in the Pearl River Delta, promote the smooth flow of cargo transportation, and facilitate the development of import and export trade.