BEIJING, November 6 (Xinhua) — A Chinese shipyard has started building the largest fully electric, open-deck container ships in the ten-thousand-ton class, according to the Science and Technology Daily on Wednesday.
The two smart container ships, each with a capacity of about 740 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), are currently under construction in the eastern province of Jiangxi.
The development of these electric ocean-going vessels signals the beginning of an emissions-free era for China’s shipping sector. This move aligns with the country’s commitment to peak carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060.
Today, China leads the world in container throughput, with its international shipping volume accounting for nearly one-third of the global total in 2023.
The cargo ships under construction, each nearly 128 meters long, are designed to reach a maximum speed of 11.5 knots. Each vessel will be powered by a set of 10 containerized batteries.
“The lithium batteries we use have a total power of 1,900 kilowatts, the largest capacity in China,” said Xu Haibo, a technician at the shipyard.
The vessels are scheduled to launch in July 2025, with the first of the two expected to be operational by 2026, according to Mr. Xu. ■
Source: French news
