Chinese state-owned company COSCO Shipping has launched the “world’s largest” river-to-sea electric container ship. The Green Water 01 is a 10,000-ton+ fully electric vessel that sets a new benchmark in sustainability in the marine logistics industry.
China Ocean Shipping (Group) Company, or COSCO for short. This is a state-owned multinational conglomerate headquartered in Shanghai. It specializes in marine transport. Unlike Costco, COSCO Shipping was founded as a subsidiary in 2016 following an approved coalition between COSCO and China Shipping.
The COSCO Group is the biggest liner carrier in China. It transports hundreds of container vessels daily and also provides ships to Chinese automakers to help them export their electric vehicles to new markets overseas, including Europe.
To adapt to the times, COSCO has developed a massive, fully electric container ship. It has officially begun service in China.
COSCO’s electric container ship begins service in China
According to a WeChat post from COSCO Shipping, which features reports from China’s CCTV, the company’s Green Water 01 electric container ship arrived safely. The local maritime safety administration berthed it in the Port of Yangshan.
The Green Water 01 sails at 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 maximum speed of 19.4 km/h (12 mph). COSCO Shipping says the Green Water 01 electric container ship presents multiple firsts for the marine industry. It includes total length, width, container capacity, deadweight tonnage (10,0000 tons), and battery capacity (50,000+ kWh).
The electric container ship powers itself with a large-capacity battery of over 50,000 kWh. Depending on the length of the voyage at sea, COSCO can configure the number of battery modules. If needed, they can load additional 20-foot battery boxes that offer 1,600 kWh of electricity for extra range.
This ship’s captain, Wang Jun, told CCTV that when the Green Water 01 is equipped with 24 battery boxes. The electric container ship can complete trips that consume 80,000 kWh of energy. It is equivalent to approximately 15 tons of fuel for a similar journey in a traditional container ship.
COSCO Shipping also shared that the new Green Water 01 can save 3,900 kg (8,600 pounds) of fuel for every 100 nautical miles traveled, cutting carbon dioxide emissions by 12.4 tons. Following the successful launch, the Green Water 01 has commenced weekly service between Shanghai and Nanjing.
