Three ministries issue inland electrification plan
On October 12, China's Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and National Energy Administration jointly issued the Inland Waterway New Energy Vessel Promotion Action Plan for 2026–2030.
The plan sets a target of more than 1,000 electric transport vessels and more than 100 methanol-powered vessels by 2028, doubling the new-energy vessel fleet from 2025 levels. It lists 11 key tasks, including improving standards and specifications.
Under the plan, ship charging and battery-swap facilities in the Yangtze River Delta waterway network are to basically form a network, and methanol bunkering service capacity along the main Yangtze River line is to be available along the entire route.
Hubei signs 89 standard battery-swap cargo ships
Ahead of the policy, Hubei released three standard battery-swap cargo ship designs and signed 89 vessels on site. The 89 standard ships are scheduled to begin construction in 2027.
The vessels standardize the ship design, but the battery boxes are not yet interchangeable across ports and operators.
China's first 10,000-tonne-class pure electric bulk carrier has entered operation in Wuhan. The ship takes about 10 minutes for a single battery swap, has a 500 km range on a full charge, and is suited to mainstream cargo routes on the main Yangtze River line. It replaces about 617.5 tonnes of fuel and cuts carbon dioxide emissions by about 2,052 tonnes a year.