New energy ships make waves in Yichang
Changjiang Sanxia 1, the world’s largest cruise ship powered purely by electricity, completed a trial voyage around Yichang in March 2022.
New energy ships are an industry of the future for Yichang. In the Yichang Shipbuilding Industrial Park, 10 new energy cargo ships are being fitted out and 17 more are under construction.
Changjiang Sanxia 1 during trial voyage. Photo by Zhou Xingliang
"This is genuinely a ‘green ship’ because we can achieve true 'zero pollution and zero emissions'”, said Ye Bao, chief engineer of Yichang Xinhui Ship Repair. Unlike traditional vessels, the ship uses clean hydropower electricity and can travel more than 100 kilometers on a single charge, saving 530 metric tons of fuel oil and eliminating 1,660 tons of harmful gas emissions each year.
The launch of the Changjiang Sanxia showcases the technical strength of the Yichang shipbuilding industry, and opens a furrow into the “blue sea” of new energy shipbuilding.
On March 8 this year, Hubei province's first diesel-LNG dual-fuel powered vessel "Fan Sheng 102" was completed and began its trial voyage on Zhijiang River.
“Fan Sheng 102”, By Li Pengfei
“The ship has two operation modes: pure diesel fuel mode and oil and gas dual fuel mode. When the ship uses LNG, pollutant emissions are significantly reduced. It can achieve approximately a 20 percent reduction of carbon dioxide, 80 percent reduction of sulfur oxide emissions and near zero emission of particulate matter,” said Qu Yang, general manager of Zhijiang Shengmao Shipyard.
In May this year, construction began on the first 130-meter pure LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) powered bulk carrier destined for the Yangtze River. This type of ship – whose emissions of sulfur oxide and nitrogen oxide are close to zero – is much less polluting than a diesel-powered vessel.
Yichang Xinhui Ship Repair also put into operation "Lihang Yujian No.1" and "Lihang Yujian No.2". These hybrid ships are powered by oil, gas, and electricity. For a long-distance cruise, they use petroleum, and switch to pure electricity for short distances or small movements, such as docking or moving through the Three Gorges Dam ship lift.
Tan Qisheng, chairman of Yichang Xinhui Ship Repair, said: "This year, our company has built five new energy vessels: pure electric power, oil-gas-electric hybrid power, and an LNG-oil-gas hybrid.
“We partnered with Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, and other research institutes to develop new technologies in new energy, composite materials and anti-corrosion coating. We want to bolster the green development and innovation capability of the Yichang shipbuilding industry,” added Tan.
Yichang, which is able to turn its location, transport network and shipping traffic to advantage, has a long history of shipbuilding and a solid industrial supply chain foundation.
Since 2021, Yichang shipbuilding enterprises have accepted 19 orders for new energy ships, ranking No.1 in Hubei province.
