Ningbo Ocean Shipping has taken delivery of Ningyuan Dianpeng, the second of two 740-TEU all-electric open-top containerships built by Jiangxi Jiangxin Shipbuilding and classed by China Classification Society, according to CCS.
The 127.8-metre vessel was named and handed over on 30 June at Dushan port in Jiaxing, Zhejiang, before sailing fully laden to Jintang in Ningbo-Zhoushan Port. The voyage launched China’s first zero-carbon sea-river intermodal shipping service.
Ningyuan Dianpeng is a 740-TEU design with a certified capacity of 742 TEU. The 21.6-metre-wide ship carries 10 containerised battery units with total storage capacity of about 20 MWh. The batteries can be charged through a high-voltage shore connection or replaced by crane. A photovoltaic installation supplies additional power, while the redundant propulsion system is designed to maintain propulsion after a single-system failure and enable zero-emission operations in port.
The ship holds the CCS i-Ship (No.M.I) notation and is equipped for open-water autonomous navigation, all-weather visual perception, route planning, collision avoidance, machinery monitoring and operating-mode switching. It is expected to save about 800 tonnes of fuel and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 2,000 tonnes per year.
The maiden cargo comprised completely knocked-down vehicle kits from Geely’s Changxing plant. Electric trucks moved the shipment to Huzhou Port, where it was transferred to six 64-TEU electric inland containerships for transport to Jiaxing and onward loading onto Ningyuan Dianpeng.
The nearly 350-km logistics chain is expected to cut annual carbon dioxide emissions by almost 4,800 tonnes and reduce logistics costs by more than CNY 7.4m ($1.09m).
Sistership Ningyuan Diankun entered service on the Ningbo-Jiaxing route in mid-April. It saved 67 tonnes of fuel and avoided about 168 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions during its first month of operation.
Ningbo Ocean Shipping, established in 1992, is controlled by Ningbo Zhoushan Port Co Ltd and operates coastal, river, intra-Asia and longer-distance services. Its fleet stood at 113 vessels serving 51 ports at the end of its latest reporting period.
Jiangxi Jiangxin Shipbuilding is a Chinese shipbuilder responsible for the two-vessel programme.
CCS is China’s national ship classification society.
Zhejiang Seaport Group and Ningbo Zhoushan Port Group are the state-owned port organisations leading the intermodal corridor.