Following success in electric vehicle (EV) and battery production, China is now electrifying its shipping fleet, betting that the revolution in green transport can float as well as drive. The shift towards clean energy underscores the country's broader decarbonization commitment: to peak carbon emissions by 2030 and achieve neutrality by 2060. These goals have spurred substantial progress in renewable capacity installation, end-use revamps, new technology development, and carbon trading. More than 1,000 vessels powered by electricity or alternative fuels are currently operating in China’s vast network of inland waterways, including 485 e-vessels, most of which are river passenger ships, according to data from the Ministry of Transport. However, some companies are developing electric cargo vessels, moving beyond short-haul passenger ships but largely confining this shift for now to domestic waterways rather than international deep-sea freight.
Fujian Shipbuilding Industry Group launched a pure-electric cargo ship on February 7. Designed to transport up to 1,000 tons of freight on the Min river, the vessel has a 200 km range on a single charge. Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL), the world’s largest EV battery producer, has partnered with Jining Energy, a state-owned firm in Shandong province, to develop electric vessels with a 2,000 ton load capacity and a range of up to 270 km on a single charge. Five units were launched in December, with Jining Energy placing orders for an additional 50 ships, the South China Morning Post reports.
