Clean energy for inland shipping
China is accelerating the use of clean energy in inland waterway transport. By end of 2024 it had more than 1,000 vessels in service using alternative fuels, including more than 600 LNG-powered and 485 battery-powered ships.
Deputy transport minister Fu Xuyin said that China leads globally in electric vessel deployment and technology.
In 2023, electricity use by ships on the Yangtze River quadrupled, compared to earlier years, reducing CO₂ emissions by 133,000 t. Inland freight volumes reached 4.95 billion t, more than double 2012’s figures.
China plans to expand battery use for short routes and promote LNG and methanol for longer hauls. Investments in shore power, wind and solar energy at ports, and cleaner port machinery is expected to follow.