The current development of electric ships shows a positive trend

1. Market size and growth trend

According to EVTank, a third-party organization focusing on research on electric vehicles and related industrial chains, China's electric ship market is expected to increase to 36.75 billion yuan in 2026, and lithium battery demand will also increase from 173.2MWh in 2021 to 11.2GWh in 2026. This forecast shows that the electric ship market will maintain a rapid growth trend in the next few years. At the same time, the Intelligent New Energy Ship Technology Innovation Industry Alliance also predicts that the share of battery ships is expected to reach 15% by 2030, further proving the huge potential of the electric ship market.

2. Classification According to the type of power source

At the same time, referring to the classification method of electric vehicles, electric ships can be initially divided into the following three types:

Pure electric ships: ships that are mainly propelled by electricity generated by batteries, including lithium battery + supercapacitor electric ships, lead-acid battery electric ships, nickel-hydrogen battery electric ships, etc.

Hybrid electric ship: refers to a ship that uses two or more different power sources (such as diesel engines and electric motors). Common hybrid electric ships include diesel-electric hybrid electric ships, solar and electric hybrid electric ships, wind and electric hybrid electric ships, etc.

Fuel cell electric ship: A ship that uses fuel cells as a power source. Fuel cells can directly convert the chemical energy of fuels (such as hydrogen, methanol, zinc, etc.) into electrical energy through chemical reactions. Common fuel cell electric ships include hydrogen fuel cell electric ships, methanol fuel cell electric ships, zinc fuel cell electric ships, etc.

3. Features Environmental protection: Electric ships have the characteristics of energy saving, low emissions, low pollution, and cleanliness, which are conducive to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and protecting the environment. Economic efficiency: The operating cost of electric ships is relatively low, especially pure electric ships, whose power consumption cost is much lower than that of traditional fuel ships. Low noise: The propulsion system of electric ships is usually driven by electricity, which has lower engine noise than traditional fuel ships, improving the driving experience. Energy diversification: Electric ships can use a variety of energy types, including electricity, solar energy, wind energy, etc., which improves the efficiency and flexibility of energy utilization.

4. Construction of supporting facilities The development of electric ships also requires the support of perfect supporting facilities.

At present, the country is actively promoting the construction of supporting facilities for charging and swapping electric ships. For example: The Maritime Safety Administration of the Ministry of Transport has actively carried out the compilation of the "Provisional Rules for Technology and Inspection of Pure Battery Powered Ships" and has issued a draft for comments. The Yangtze River Navigation Administration, together with relevant units, has applied for the special pilot project of "Construction of New Energy and Clean Energy Application and Monitoring System for Yangtze River Mainline Ships" for a green and low-carbon transportation power country, and promoted the construction and operation of more than 10 new energy ships such as power batteries, methanol, and hydrogen fuels, and summarized the construction, inspection, operation, and management experience in practice. A number of public charging and swapping facilities for ships will be built on a pilot basis, and relevant safety operating procedures will be formulated to solve compatibility issues such as technology and products, guide the orderly construction of box-type power charging and swapping stations inside and outside the port, and accelerate the research and introduction of regional electric ship charging and swapping facility layout plans. The construction of these supporting facilities provides strong support for the widespread application of electric ships.

5. Market application and prospects

At present, electric ships have been widely used in many fields. For example: Inland waterway shipping: Electric ships have broad application prospects in the field of inland waterway shipping. Due to the relatively short distance of inland waterway shipping and the complex waterway conditions, the advantages of electric ships such as zero emissions, low noise and low operating costs can be fully utilized. Offshore ports: Electric ships are gradually being used in offshore port areas. These ships are mainly used for short-distance transportation and operations within the port, such as cargo loading and unloading, personnel pick-up and drop-off, etc. Tourism: Electric ships also have certain application potential in the field of tourism. For example, some scenic spots and amusement parks will use electric ships as sightseeing tools to provide tourists with a comfortable and environmentally friendly sightseeing experience. In the future, with the continuous advancement of technology and the continuous support of policies, electric ships are expected to be widely used in more fields and become an important force in the shipping industry to achieve green and low-carbon transformation.

In summary, the current development of electric ships shows the characteristics of expanding market scale, strengthening policy support, continuous technological progress and innovation, gradual improvement of supporting facilities construction, and broad market application prospects. In the future, electric ships are expected to play a more important role in the shipping industry.