Water filling started in Pinglu Canal in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on Wednesday with full navigation to be realized across the entire waterway in September.
The canal, which stretches 134.2 kilometers, starts from Hengzhou City in Guangxi and empties into the Beibu Gulf.
The section in the regional capital city of Nanning, which features gentle terrain and has a network of natural watercourses, was expanded and deepened to become the first segment filled with water.
"The Nanning section makes optimal use of existing natural river channels and boasts the most favorable construction conditions. With a wide and shallow cross-section, its channel satisfies current navigation requirements for ships with optimized designed draft and sailing speed, and also helps drastically cut excavation of underwater bedrock," said Lu Jiakun, an engineer at Guangxi Pinglu Canal Construction Company Limited.
The canal also has a 21.4-kilometer section that stretches across the urban area of Qinzhou, a major city in Guangxi.
Following the water filling, vessels can berth at the water service area in the city where they will be provided with one-stop services.
"The Qinzhou Water Service Area serves as a 'super service station' along the canal. Following water filling, our waterborne service network will gain tangible support. In the future, all electricity consumed at the service area will be intelligent with no emissions or pollution to be generated," said Zhang Guangzhao, another engineer at Guangxi Pinglu Canal Construction Company Limited.
Water filling starts in China's Pinglu Canal
