The International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) recently said China’s fleet of electric cargo ships has grown by 950%, from just four vessels in 2022 to 42 in 2025.

According to its latest blog, electrification is rapidly expanding along inland waterways in the country, offering a pathway to cut emissions, improve air quality, and lower operating costs.

ICCT said electric cargo ships are entering real-world operation at a rapidly growing pace

“Ship types have diversified, from bulk carriers and container ships to multi-purpose cargo ships. At the same time, vessel sizes have grown significantly, with the maximum deadweight tonnage (DWT) rising from around 3,000 tonnes in 2022 to approximately 14,000 tonnes in 2025,” it said.

“This indicates that China is testing the feasibility of electrification for increasingly larger ships.”

Although battery capacity constraints continue to limit sailing range per charge—which typically hovered between 150 km and 400 km from 2022 to 2025—trends show steady improvement; by 2025, electric cargo ships with a range of up to 500 km were already in operation in China.

Inland waterways have become the primary testing ground for electric cargo ship deployment. 

By the end of 2025, 86% of electric cargo ships in China were operating on internal rivers. 

“Nine provinces and municipalities have already launched pilot projects, covering major waterways such as the Yangtze River, the Pearl River, and the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal,” ICCT added.

The blog also explored the opportunities, challenges, and policy actions that could accelerate the shift to electric inland shipping.

“Developing an enhanced subsidy that favors electric vessels, on top of the current vessel trade-in subsidy program, could help reduce the upfront investment burden for electric vessel adoption,” it recommended.

ICCT added that tightening ship engine emission standards toward world-leading levels could increase the compliance costs of conventional-fuel vessels and improve the relative competitiveness of electric ships.

“The electrification of inland shipping in China is already underway; what is needed now is smart policy to accelerate the transition,” it said.

Photo credit: CHUTTERSNAP on Unsplash
Published: 6 July, 2026

ELIRE Maritime and consortium partners on Monday (25 May) announced the successful completion of the UKRI-funded Clean Maritime Demonstrator Competition Round 6 (CMDC6) programme.

CMDC6 is a GBP 1 million (USD 1.3 million) feasibility programme and initiative delivered by Innovate UK in partnership with the UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions (UK SHORE), part of the UK Department for Transport.

The partners are Ricardo UK, Schneider Electric, Rux Energy UK, Triton Anchor Europe, OREC (Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult), and the University of Strathclyde. 

The programme successfully validated one of the world’s first fully grid-independent Hydrogen Floating Power Hub systems capable of delivering clean power directly to vessels at berth without requiring traditional shore-side grid infrastructure. 

The consortium demonstrated that large vessels can realistically be powered at berth today using existing hydrogen, battery, fuel cell, and electrical technologies integrated into a modular floating maritime system designed for rapid deployment across global ports.

The solution can now be deployed and would be expected to support the reduction of up to 500,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions globally over the next decade through a scalable maritime clean energy infrastructure capable of operating independently from constrained port grids.

“Ports are under increasing pressure to decarbonise while facing major infrastructure constraints,” said Luke Jenkinson, Founder and CEO of ELIRE Maritime. 

“The Hydrogen Power Hub proves that ports do not need to wait years for grid upgrades to begin reducing emissions. We have validated a practical, scalable, and deployable system capable of delivering clean power directly where it is needed most.”

The Hydrogen Power Hub establishes a new category of maritime infrastructure by moving energy and power generation as well as storage onto water rather than relying on fixed, land-based systems constrained by grid access, cost, permitting, and land availability.

At full configuration, this particular validated system is capable of delivering 5MW of continuous clean power output directly to vessels at berth, enough to support medium-sized cruise vessels and other large maritime assets requiring both 6.6kV and 11kV shore power connections. This system integrates three modular hexagonal floating platforms with a combined 1,200 sqm footprint, approximately 45MWh of battery energy storage capacity, modular fuel cell systems, hydrogen-powered generation, onboard renewable generation, and advanced grid-forming AC/DC electrical architecture.

The consortium confirmed the platform can deliver approximately 91MWh of energy per week while supporting repeated vessel charging operations without requiring major civil works, land reclamation, or expensive grid reinforcement.

The system uses approximately 7,500 to 8,000kg of hydrogen weekly, stored within modular ISO-compatible low-pressure storage containers integrated directly into the floating infrastructure. The current layout accommodates seven onboard hydrogen tanks, with refuelling operations expected approximately twice weekly, enabling ports to adopt hydrogen incrementally without requiring permanent hydrogen infrastructure during early deployment phases.

Instead of relying on oversized generators, the platform uses modular 1.3MW fuel cells operating continuously throughout the week to gradually charge the onboard batteries before rapidly dispatching energy when vessels arrive at berth.

Photo credit: ELIRE Maritime
Published: 26 May, 2026

Wah Kwong NatPower Holdings (Wah Kwong NatPower) on Friday (15 May) said it has recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Chu Kong Shipping Enterprises (Group) (CKS), a subsidiary of Guangdong Provincial Port & Shipping Group Company Limited. 

The two parties have agreed to establish a cooperative framework with a focus on advancing industries related to the electrification of Hong Kong’s waterborne transport. 

Under the MoU, the two parties will engage in in-depth discussions aligned with the shipping industry’s low-carbon transition, focusing on areas including electric vessel construction and technological innovation, charging and battery-swap networks at Guangdong–Hong Kong terminals, and the overall promotion of water transport electrification in Hong Kong. Both sides will share industry information and jointly explore relevant policy and technical developments.

The MoU was signed by Mr. Vincent Ni, the General Manager of Wah Kwong NatPower. Mr. Ni noted that establishing industry-wide collaborative mechanisms is essential to translating low-carbon transition concepts into tangible outcomes. He stated that water transport electrification is a systemic endeavour that requires close coordination across the entire value chain. 

Wah Kwong NatPower said the cooperation with CKS reflects a shared vision for the development of water transport electrification in Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area. 

The shipping industry is entering an accelerated phase of green and low-carbon transition. As a leading hub for maritime innovation, the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area is advancing the deployment of electric vessels alongside the development of supporting infrastructure.

“At the same time, the region is building an interconnected green energy ecosystem, expanding shoreside charging networks and promoting standardisation across charging and battery-swapping systems. This coordinated approach is critical to enabling seamless cross-regional operations and overcoming key energy replenishment challenges,” the company added. 

Together, the parties will deepen collaboration to explore practical, scalable pathways for water transport electrification, aligned with Hong Kong’s specific operating environment and broader industry trends.

Following the agreement, both parties will establish a joint working group and structure collaboration framework to accelerate project development, identify priority opportunities, and bring forward tangible infrastructure solutions.

Photo credit: Wah Kwong NatPower
Published: 18 May, 2026