BEIJING, NOV 6 – A shipyard in China has begun construction of the world’s largest 10,000-ton electric open container ship, newspaper reports Science and Technology Dailytoday.
The two smart ships, each with an equivalent capacity of about 740 twenty-foot units (TEU), are being built in eastern China’s Jiangxi province. The construction of the electric sea vessel marks the beginning of an era of carbon-free maritime transport for China, in line with the country’s commitment to reach a carbon emission peak in 2030 and carbon neutrality in 2060.
China currently ranks first in the world in terms of the number of containers handled, with international maritime transport accounting for nearly a third of the global total by 2023.
The vessel under construction measures almost 128 meters in length and is designed to reach a maximum speed of 11.5 knots. Each ship will be powered by 10 container-shaped batteries that can be recharged in port using high-voltage shore power or by swapping out their batteries for fast charging.
“The lithium battery we use has a total power output of 1,900 kilowatts, which is the largest capacity in China,” said Xu Haibo, a technician from the shipbuilder.
In addition, the ship is also equipped with automatic navigation capabilities in open seas as well as other smart features. The ships are scheduled to be launched in July 2025 and the first ship is expected to be operational in 2026, according to Xu. – Xinhua
