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

Hangzhou (ANTARA) - China’s first zero-carbon sea-river intermodal shipping route officially began operations on Tuesday (30/6), marked by the departure of a 10,000-ton class pure electric container ship from Jiaxing Port to Ningbo-Zhoushan Port, both located in Zhejiang Province, China.

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 units).

Powered by ten 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 vital hub connecting Zhejiang’s inland waterway systems with coastal shipping networks, while Ningbo-Zhoushan Port remains the world’s busiest port based on cargo throughput.

According to the Jiaxing maritime safety administration, this new route operates without fuel consumption or exhaust emissions, cutting carbon dioxide by approximately 60 kg per TEU shipped. The route offers a low-carbon option for exporters in the Yangtze River Delta to transport goods to global markets.