en.Wedoany.com Reported - The market demand for electric ships continues to grow, with ship owners experiencing a significant reduction in fuel costs after switching to electric vessels. Hu Yujun, a ship owner with over 30 years of experience in inland river freight, replaced his vessel with an electric one in early 2026. According to him, a 2,000-ton diesel-powered ship costs approximately 5.5 million yuan, while an electric ship after replacement subsidies costs about 11.9 million yuan, an increase of over 6 million yuan. However, the energy cost per 100 kilometers for an electric ship is about 2,500 yuan cheaper. Based on an annual operation of 40,000 kilometers, this can save approximately 1 million yuan per year. With a service life exceeding 20 years, the overall cost-effectiveness is quite favorable.
Electric ships, which require no fuel and produce zero tailpipe emissions, have already been put into operation on multiple waterways. Driven by both the policy to replace old vessels and the push for low-carbon development, the market demand for electric ships is accelerating. Orders for inland river freight electric ships have recently surged. Companies are actively upgrading with intelligent equipment and adopting a full-process modular construction method, reducing the shipbuilding cycle by more than half compared to traditional methods. A company executive stated that the company currently has 108 confirmed orders, both domestic and international, with over 400 in intended orders, and 24 berths are operating at full capacity.
As of the end of 2025, China had a total of 89,300 inland river transport vessels, of which approximately 20,700 were high-pollution vessels aged 18 years or older, prioritized for phase-out. Institutions estimate that by 2030, the market size of China's entire electric ship industry chain is expected to exceed 50 billion yuan. Wu Guodong, Deputy Director of the System Overall Department at the 704 Research Institute of China State Shipbuilding Corporation, noted that in the field of electric ships, based on China's industrial foundation in energy storage batteries and high-power power electronic equipment, related equipment has been fully localized.
