A Chinese shipyard has begun construction of the world’s largest 10,000-ton all-electric open-topped container ships, the Science and Technology Daily newspaper reported on Wednesday.
The two smart container ships, each with a capacity of around 740 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), are currently being built in east China’s Jiangxi Province.
The construction of electric oceangoing ships heralds the beginning of a zero-emission era for China’s shipping sector. This comes after the country committed to peaking its carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2060.
Currently, China’s container throughput ranks first in the world, and its international shipping volume accounted for nearly one-third of the global total in 2023.
The cargo ships under construction, measuring almost 128 meters in length, are designed to reach a maximum speed of 11.5 knots. Each ship will be powered by a set of 10 containerized batteries. When docking at a port, the vessel can be recharged using high-voltage power ashore or swapping its batteries for a quick replenishment of energy.
“The lithium batteries we use have a total power of 1,900 kilowatts, which is the largest capacity in China,” said Xu Haibo, a technician at the shipbuilding company. The ship is also equipped with the capability of autonomous navigation in open waters, as well as other smart features.
The ships are scheduled to be launched in July 2025 and the first of the two is expected to be in service in 2026, according to Xu.
Source: https://www.chinahoje.net/china-inicia-construcao-de-grandes-navios-porta-conteineres-eletricos-para-reducao-de-carbono/
