First new energy ro-ro ship launched in Three Gorges area
2025-01-23 19:01:14
By Yan Wanqin. Liu Yue, Rao Shengbo also contributed to this article.
The first new energy ro-ro ship in the Three Gorges Reservoir area was launched in Yichang on Monday.
The first new energy ro-ro ship in the Three Gorges Reservoir area was launched in Yichang on Monday.
The new energy ro-ro ship built by Zigui Huaxing Shipyard is launched into the water. Photo by Wang Gang.
This vessel is one of three new energy ro-ro ships designated for the Yangtze River. It measures 129.8 meters in length, 30 meters in width, and 5.2 meters in depth, with a capacity of over 8,000 deadweight tons, allowing it to load 60 trucks.
Equipped with three 1,000-kilowatt methanol-propelled dual-fuel generator sets, a 1,258-kWh lithium battery system, and a photovoltaic system, the ship will operate from Yichang to Chongqing at a maximum speed of 22 kilometers per hour and a minimum sailing time of 100 hours.
Currently, 80 percent of the ship’s major structures are completed, and it is scheduled to enter operation this year, expected to be the largest ro-ro ship by capacity in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River.
Ro-ro transport on the Yangtze River, which started in 1998, is currently China's sole inland ro-ro transport route. It utilizes roll-on/roll-off ships to transport loaded vehicles and cargo by waterway.
Currently, all 45 vessels on this route use traditional diesel engines and have been in operation for almost 20 years.
The Changjiang River Administration of Navigational Affairs aims to construct three new energy ro-ro ships in Yichang by June 30, 2025. Subsequently, the 45 ro-ro ships currently operating on the Yangtze River will undergo a gradual process of replacement and upgrades.
