By Jin Lu

Nearly 200 Chinese and international guests visited the Meishan terminal of Ningbo Zhoushan Port on the morning of November 3 to see how the port uses smart technologies and clean energy to handle cargo and connect businesses with global markets.

One of the port's key terminals, Meishan is the first terminal in Zhejiang to run entirely on electricity generated from renewable sources. Visitors saw wind turbines, remotely operated quay cranes and automated container trucks working together to keep cargo moving.

The terminal has an integrated system combining wind and solar power with energy storage. Its automated equipment includes 38 remotely operated quay cranes, 137 remotely operated gantry cranes and 130 smart container trucks.

Said Karimi, mayor of Errachidia, Morocco, praised the terminal's well-organized operations and efficient management. The founder of New Zealand-based company UNIQ, was impressed by its scale, clean facilities and highly automated, all-electric cargo-handling operations.

The delegation also visited the China (Meishan) International Cold Chain Supply Chain Project, a cold-storage facility with a capacity of 500,000 cubic meters that serves clients in more than 20 countries.

The visit also provided an opportunity to explore future cooperation. A Maldivian government official expressed interest in working with Ningbo on smart port development, renewable energy and digital governance. The Maldives is considering developing Laamu Atoll into a cargo transshipment hub.