The first zero-carbon shipping fleet in the middle and upper reaches of the Yangtze River has been established in Hubei Province.

　　China News Service, Wuhan, March 26 (Reporter Wu Yili) The maiden voyage ceremony of the pure electric container ships "Huahang Xinneng 2" and "Huahang Xinneng 3" was held in Wuhan, Hubei on the 26th, marking the official establishment of the first zero-carbon transport fleet in the upper and middle reaches of the Yangtze River.

　　This fleet is created by Huazhong Port and Shipping Group and consists of 5 pure electric container ships. The first ship "Huahang Xinneng 1" made its maiden voyage on November 16, 2023, and is the first pure electric container ship in Hubei Province to operate on the main and branch lines of the Yangtze River. The ship has a speed of 18 kilometers per hour, a range of 175 kilometers, and can carry over 100 standard containers; in more than two years of operation, it has sailed nearly 100,000 kilometers on the Yangtze River, achieving "zero emissions, zero pollution, zero carbon" transport throughout, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 334 tons per year per ship.

　　She Xiuqi, Deputy General Manager of Hubei Port Huazhong Port and Shipping Logistics Group Co., Ltd., introduced that currently "Huahang Xinneng 5" and "Huahang Xinneng 6" have been completed and are in the trial operation stage. Once all 5 ships are in use, they will operate in a high-density "daily class" mode, opening green zero-carbon intercity routes within Hubei Province from Wuhan Yangluo to Ezhou, Huanggang, and other cities, constructing an efficient and convenient Han River-Yangtze River green water transport corridor.

　　She Xiuqi stated that currently, China's inland rivers are still mainly powered by diesel ships, and the large-scale promotion and application of electric ships have opened up new paths for the green, intensive, and commercial innovation of inland river shipping.

　　According to the introduction, Hubei, as the province with the longest mileage of the Yangtze River, has nearly 9,000 professional ship research and development personnel, with 80% of China's green intelligent ship research and design originating from Hubei, and Hubei's ship electric drive system supporting 62% of the national market. In 2025, the output value of Hubei's ship industry will historically exceed 100 billion yuan (RMB, the same below). The "Hubei Province Work Plan for Promoting the Transformation and Upgrading of the Inland River Ship Industry and High-Quality Development" mentions that by 2027, the province's ship industry output value will exceed 130 billion yuan, with an average annual growth rate of over 15%, maintaining a leading market share of electric ship core power systems nationwide. (End)