China Launches First Zero-Carbon Sea-River Intermodal Shipping Route

China’s first zero-carbon sea-river intermodal shipping route officially began operations on Tuesday, marked by the departure of a 10,000-tonne class all-electric container vessel from Jiaxing Port to Ningbo-Zhoushan Port, both located in Zhejiang Province. Operated by Ningbo Ocean Shipping Co., Ltd., the vessel measures 127.8 metres in length and 21.6 metres in width, with a capacity of 742 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit). Powered by 10 containerised batteries with a total energy storage capacity of approximately 20,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh), the ship is estimated to save around 800 tonnes of fuel and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 2,000 tonnes annually. Jiaxing Port serves as a crucial hub connecting Zhejiang’s inland waterway system with its coastal shipping network, while Ningbo-Zhoushan Port is the world’s busiest port by cargo throughput. According to the Jiaxing maritime safety administration, the new route operates without fuel consumption or exhaust emissions, cutting carbon dioxide by approximately 60 kg per TEU shipped. The route provides a low-carbon option for exporters in the Yangtze River Delta to transport goods to global markets.