China marks a significant milestone in eco-friendly shipping as the State officially introduces two colossal battery-powered containerships, hailed as the largest of their kind ever built. Developed specifically for COSCO Shipping, these vessels signify a pivotal step towards establishing an electrified shipping network along China's expansive Yangtze River.

What sets these ships apart is their capacity to transport up to 700 TEU (Twenty-foot Equivalent Units) solely relying on battery power. Employing an innovative swappable battery technology, these vessels house batteries within containers that can be easily replaced once their power is depleted. Each ship is currently equipped with 24 batteries housed in 20-foot containers and can carry up to 36 units, boasting a total battery capacity exceeding 50,000 kilowatt hours.

Notably, these vessels come prepared with enough battery power to complete entire voyages without requiring recharging. Operated by Shanghai Pan Asia Shipping, a COSCO subsidiary, these ships will navigate the Yangtze River, covering a distance of over 600 nautical miles from Shanghai to Wuhan. The modular battery design ensures seamless operations by enabling the ships to swap depleted batteries for fully charged ones, eliminating constraints posed by charging time, limited load capacity, or short cruising ranges.

Measuring at 10,000 tons with a length of approximately 394 feet (120 meters) and a width of 77 feet (23.6 meters), these ships, named COSCO Shipping Green Water 01 and 02, boast the highest deadweight tonnage, length, container capacity, and battery capacity among all electric containerships constructed thus far. Their design allows for seamless navigation between river and ocean, facilitating a feeder network from inland manufacturing to the seaport in Shanghai.

Beyond their battery-powered operations, these vessels showcase an array of advanced technologies. They are built on an intelligent integrated platform incorporating smart navigation and energy management systems into their operations.

Initiated by COSCO in March 2022, construction of the two ships commenced in December of the same year, and by May 2023, both were well underway. Finally, they were launched in July 2023.

These groundbreaking ships serve as a demonstration of the potential of electric propulsion and battery power. They are integral to a broader program aiming to develop the Yangtze River Mainline Green Intelligent Ship network by 2030.

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