China Launches World’s Largest Electric Cargo Ship
This prototype vessel could be the answer to aiding the battle against climate change.
For a country that releases almost one-third of the world’s green house gases, China is trying to make amends. This promising new attempt comes from the nation’s maritime industry. Indeed, the globe’s second largest economy is trying to wash off its carbon footprint with a fully-electric container ship. It stands as one against over 50,000 steam-or-fuel-run ships worldwide.
This celebrated vessel which has been aptly christened “The Green Water 01” was developed by China’s state-owned COSCO shipping company. This river-to-sea container ship runs on a humongous battery worth between 50,000 to 80,000 kilowatts, which is understandably required to support the vessel's 10,000-ton weight. This, along with the ship’s other dimensions makes it the globe’s largest electrically-powered ship yet.
There is room for improvement however, as the Green Water 01 can achieve a maximum speed of 19.4 km/hr or roughly 10.5 knots. This, while the maximum recorded velocity of a standard cargo ship clocks in at more than double that.
Regardless, COSCO proudly states that its creation can save as much as 3,900 kilos of fuel per every 185 kilometres (about 100 nautical miles) it travels. What’s more, this vessel reduces carbon dioxide emission by 12.4 tons. Forget about steadying the ship, more of these electricity-bourne vehicles can help steady the sea.
