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[Skip to main content](https://www.311institute.com/china-launches-the-worlds-first-fully-electric-cargo-ship/#main) [Scroll Top](https://www.311institute.com/china-launches-the-worlds-first-fully-electric-cargo-ship/#page) [](https://www.311institute.com/) Primary Menu Primary Menu - [Home](https://www.311institute.com/) - [JOIN US](https://www.311institute.com/community/) - [Log In](https://www.311institute.com/wp-login.php) - [About](https://www.311institute.com/about-us/) - [Blog](https://www.311institute.com/opinion/) - [Contact](https://www.311institute.com/contact-us/) - [Keynotes](https://www.311institute.com/matthew-griffin/) - [Resources](https://www.311institute.com/china-launches-the-worlds-first-fully-electric-cargo-ship/) - [Bitesize Futures](https://www.311institute.com/bitesize-futures-series/) - [Codexes](https://www.311institute.com/insights/) - [Content Library](https://www.311institute.com/featured-content/) - [Keynotes](https://www.311institute.com/speaking/) - [Podcasts](https://www.311institute.com/fanaticalfuturist-podcast/) - [Future World Series](https://www.311institute.com/future-world-series/) - [Futures Awards](https://www.311institute.com/the-futures-awards/) - [Futures Education](https://www.311institute.com/xpotentialu/) - [Posters](https://www.311institute.com/emerging-technology-posters/) - [Services]() - [Customer Stories](https://www.311institute.com/customer-stories/) - [Advisory](https://www.311institute.com/advisory-services/) - [Foresight](https://www.311institute.com/forecasting-services/) - [Innovation](https://www.311institute.com/innovation-services/) - [Strategy](https://www.311institute.com/strategy-services/) - [XPU](https://www.311institute.com/xpotentialu/) - [Shop](https://www.311institute.com/shop/) - [0](https://www.311institute.com/cart/) Basket - No products in the basket. # China launches the world’s first fully electric cargo ship  [0](https://www.311institute.com/china-launches-the-worlds-first-fully-electric-cargo-ship/#respond) [0](https://www.311institute.com/china-launches-the-worlds-first-fully-electric-cargo-ship/ "Like this") [](https://www.311institute.com/rb-systems-unveil-their-awesome-hyperloop-terminal-concept/) [](https://www.311institute.com/category/future-transport/) [](https://www.311institute.com/denvers-new-hyperloop-for-roads-will-transport-cars-at-200mph-around-the-city/) By [Matthew Griffin](https://www.311institute.com/ "Visit Matthew Griffin’s website") [Future Transport](https://www.311institute.com/category/future-transport/ "View all posts in Future Transport") 1st February 2018 > ### WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF > ### Cargo ships are by far the most polluting types of “vehicles” on the planet, all be the fact they carry huge weights of cargo, but now the industry is starting to electrify and the result will be an environmental revolution. [Ground transport](https://www.311institute.com/tag/electric-vehicles), closely followed by the [aviation sector](https://www.311institute.com/tag/electric-aircraft), is currently leading the transition to electric propulsion, and now arguably the world’s most polluting form of transportation, cargo ships, where the world’s 14 largest ships produce more sulphur pollution than all the world’s 750 million cars combined, is slowly getting the same treatment with the announcement that a massive new [electric cargo ship](https://www.311institute.com/tag/electric-ships) in China has been officially launched with a battery powertrain. And at 70.5 meters long, 13.9 meters wide, 4.5 meters deep, 3.3 meters draft design, and with a cargo capacity of 2,000 tons this is now small town row boat. [See also Worlds first oblique detention engine could unlock Mach 17 aircraft](https://www.311institute.com/worlds-first-oblique-detention-engine-could-unlock-mach-17-aircraft/) According to the press release the ship’s powertrain is equipped with two 160 kW electric propellers and a mix of [supercapacitors](https://www.311institute.com/tag/supercapacitors) and Lithium batteries for a total energy capacity of 2.4 MWh, for comparison, that’s like 24 batteries from Tesla’s most high powered vehicle the [Tesla](https://www.311institute.com/tag/tesla) Model S P100D, and the powertrain reportedly gives the ship a range of roughly 50 miles (80 km) on a single charge, which is fine given the fact that the ship, which ironically carries coal, is only designed for short journeys down the Pearl River in Guangdong Province. According to Chen Ji, general manger of [Guangzhou Shipyard International](http://gsi.cssc.net.cn/en/component_general_situation/), the ship will be mainly used to run in the inland section of the Pearl River, carrying coal for the generation of electric power. The Launch Ceremony “As the ship is fully electric powered, it poses no threats to the environment. The technology will soon be likely … used in passenger or engineering ships,” Huang Jialin, head of Hangzhou Modern Ship Design & Research Co, said regarding his company’s new innovation. Both shipyards where it will operate are equipped with massive charging systems that can reportedly charge the boat’s battery pack in just two hours, which is about the time it takes to load and unload the ship, and they plan to use the same design to launch other versions of the boat to carry other kinds of cargo and passengers. [See also Boeing unveil their stunning hypersonic space plane concept](https://www.311institute.com/boeing-unveil-their-hypersonic-stunning-space-plane-concept/) Wang Yongchen, a Beijing environmentalist, commented on the news. “This kind of ship takes into consideration the harmony between humans and nature and can protect water quality and marine life, and should be copied by other ships sailing on local rivers,” he said. The vessel had its first successful maiden voyage last month. While it may seem counter intuitive to launch an all electric ship to carry coal, it’s actually a big step in the right direction. China moves a lot of coal and it’s better to move that coal in battery powered ships than in ships burning incredibly polluting heavy fuels even if the battery-powered ships are powered by electricity generated by coal. [See also Meet Olli the self driving bus, perfectly disruptive, perfectly purposeful](https://www.311institute.com/meet-olli-the-self-driving-bus-perfectly-disruptive-perfectly-purposeful/) Some of the world’s largest cargo ships emit pollution comparable to millions of passenger cars put together, and the heavy fuel oil that they burn has high sulfur content and therefore, it is an important part of the world’s transportation industry that needs to transition to being battery-powered. Improvement in energy density are likely going to be needed in order to enable long-distance routes in battery powered ships combined with solar and sail, but in the meantime, plenty of other short trip cargo routes can be electrified like this one, so this is, as they say, just the beginning. ### *Related* [World’s first autonomous cargo ship to enter service in 2018](https://www.311institute.com/worlds-first-autonomous-cargo-ship-to-enter-service-in-2018/ "World’s first autonomous cargo ship to enter service in 2018")20th September 2017In "Future Transport" [The first battery powered cargo ship is coming to Tokyo](https://www.311institute.com/the-first-battery-powered-cargo-ship-is-coming-to-tokyo/ "The first battery powered cargo ship is coming to Tokyo")7th June 2021In "Future Transport" [Companies are racing to fill the seas with autonomous drone ships](https://www.311institute.com/companies-are-racing-to-fill-the-seas-with-autonomous-drone-ships/ "Companies are racing to fill the seas with autonomous drone ships")26th June 2017In "Future Transport" [Battery Technology](https://www.311institute.com/tag/battery-technology/)[China](https://www.311institute.com/tag/china/)[Electric Ships](https://www.311institute.com/tag/electric-ships/)[Electric Vehicles](https://www.311institute.com/tag/electric-vehicles/)[Guangzhou Shipyard International](https://www.311institute.com/tag/guangzhou-shipyard-international/)[Hangzhou Modern Ship Design and Research Company](https://www.311institute.com/tag/hangzhou-modern-ship-design-and-research-company/)[Maritime Industry](https://www.311institute.com/tag/maritime-industry/)[Supercapacitors](https://www.311institute.com/tag/supercapacitors/)[Sustainability](https://www.311institute.com/tag/sustainability/)[Transportation Industry](https://www.311institute.com/tag/transportation-industry/)[World First](https://www.311institute.com/tag/world-first/) [](https://www.311institute.com/) Matthew Griffin / About Author Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 15-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder and Futurist in Chief of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society. An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity program, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos. As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others. Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances. 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 > ### WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF > ### Cargo ships are by far the most polluting types of “vehicles” on the planet, all be the fact they carry huge weights of cargo, but now the industry is starting to electrify and the result will be an environmental revolution. [Ground transport](https://www.311institute.com/tag/electric-vehicles), closely followed by the [aviation sector](https://www.311institute.com/tag/electric-aircraft), is currently leading the transition to electric propulsion, and now arguably the world’s most polluting form of transportation, cargo ships, where the world’s 14 largest ships produce more sulphur pollution than all the world’s 750 million cars combined, is slowly getting the same treatment with the announcement that a massive new [electric cargo ship](https://www.311institute.com/tag/electric-ships) in China has been officially launched with a battery powertrain. And at 70.5 meters long, 13.9 meters wide, 4.5 meters deep, 3.3 meters draft design, and with a cargo capacity of 2,000 tons this is now small town row boat. According to the press release the ship’s powertrain is equipped with two 160 kW electric propellers and a mix of [supercapacitors](https://www.311institute.com/tag/supercapacitors) and Lithium batteries for a total energy capacity of 2.4 MWh, for comparison, that’s like 24 batteries from Tesla’s most high powered vehicle the [Tesla](https://www.311institute.com/tag/tesla) Model S P100D, and the powertrain reportedly gives the ship a range of roughly 50 miles (80 km) on a single charge, which is fine given the fact that the ship, which ironically carries coal, is only designed for short journeys down the Pearl River in Guangdong Province. According to Chen Ji, general manger of [Guangzhou Shipyard International](http://gsi.cssc.net.cn/en/component_general_situation/), the ship will be mainly used to run in the inland section of the Pearl River, carrying coal for the generation of electric power. The Launch Ceremony “As the ship is fully electric powered, it poses no threats to the environment. The technology will soon be likely … used in passenger or engineering ships,” Huang Jialin, head of Hangzhou Modern Ship Design & Research Co, said regarding his company’s new innovation. Both shipyards where it will operate are equipped with massive charging systems that can reportedly charge the boat’s battery pack in just two hours, which is about the time it takes to load and unload the ship, and they plan to use the same design to launch other versions of the boat to carry other kinds of cargo and passengers. Wang Yongchen, a Beijing environmentalist, commented on the news. “This kind of ship takes into consideration the harmony between humans and nature and can protect water quality and marine life, and should be copied by other ships sailing on local rivers,” he said. The vessel had its first successful maiden voyage last month. While it may seem counter intuitive to launch an all electric ship to carry coal, it’s actually a big step in the right direction. China moves a lot of coal and it’s better to move that coal in battery powered ships than in ships burning incredibly polluting heavy fuels even if the battery-powered ships are powered by electricity generated by coal. Some of the world’s largest cargo ships emit pollution comparable to millions of passenger cars put together, and the heavy fuel oil that they burn has high sulfur content and therefore, it is an important part of the world’s transportation industry that needs to transition to being battery-powered. Improvement in energy density are likely going to be needed in order to enable long-distance routes in battery powered ships combined with solar and sail, but in the meantime, plenty of other short trip cargo routes can be electrified like this one, so this is, as they say, just the beginning. [](https://www.311institute.com/) Matthew Griffin / About Author Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 15-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder and Futurist in Chief of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society. An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity program, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos. As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others. Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.