World's Largest Electric Container Ship Sets Sail with 50,000 kWh Battery Power

COSCO Shipping, a Chinese state-owned firm, has unveiled what it calls the "world's largest" river-to-sea electric container vessel. The Green Water 01 is a 10,000-ton+ electric vessel that sets a new standard for sustainability in the marine transport business.

COSCO Unveils Groundbreaking Electric Vessel, Redefining Sustainable Marine Transport

In a recent report by Electrek, China Ocean Shipping (Group) Company, or COSCO for short, is a state-owned global business in Shanghai specializing in marine transportation. Unlike Costco, COSCO Shipping was established as a subsidiary in 2016 due to a permitted merger between COSCO and China Shipping.

The COSCO Group is China's largest liner carrier, moving hundreds of container vessels every day and offering ships to Chinese manufacturers to enable them to export their electric automobiles to new markets outside China, notably Europe.

To keep up with the times, COSCO created a gigantic, all-electric container ship that has now officially entered service in China.

Record-Breaking Green Water 01 Electric Container Ship Sets Sail, Pioneering Sustainable Maritime Solutions

According to a WeChat post from COSCO Shipping, which includes CCTV footage, the company's Green Water 01 electric container ship arrived safely. The local maritime safety authority berthed it at the Port of Yangshan.

The Green Water 01 has a total length of 119.8 meters, a molded width of 23.6 meters, a molded depth of 9 meters, a design draft of 5.5 meters, and a top speed of 19.4 kilometers per hour (12 mph). According to COSCO Shipping, the Green Water 01 electric container ship sets several marine industry records, including total length, width, container capacity, deadweight tonnage (10,0000 tons), and battery capacity (50,000+ kWh).

Speaking about batteries, the electric container ship is powered by a big battery with a combined capacity of over 50,000 kWh. However, COSCO claims that the number of battery modules can be changed based on the duration of the cruise. For example, more 20-foot battery boxes with 1,600 kWh of electricity can be put onto the container to increase range.

This ship's captain, Wang Jun, told CCTV that when the Green Water 01 is outfitted with 24 battery boxes, the electric container ship can accomplish voyages that utilize 80,000 kWh of energy, which is comparable to around 15 tons of gasoline for a similar journey in a typical container ship.

COSCO Shipping stated that the new Green Water 01 may save 3,900 kg (8,600 pounds) of fuel every 100 nautical miles traveled, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 12.4 tonnes. Following its successful introduction, the Green Water 01 began weekly service between Shanghai and Nanjing.

Photo: Ian Taylor/Unsplash