2026-05-06
Source: Electric Ship Era
Following the guidance and support of the city's and district's transportation authorities, Shanghai's very first pure-electric multipurpose smart vessel — the "Guoxia 001" — has officially commenced regular operations on the Huangpu River–Dazhi River route. This milestone marks a critical leap forward in Shanghai's push to transform its inland waterway shipping into a greener, low-carbon, smarter, and more efficient system.
The "Guoxia 001" is owned, built, and operated by Guoxia New Energy Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., based in the Yangshan Special Comprehensive Bonded Zone within the Lin‑Gang Special Area. Leveraging the cluster advantages of Lin‑Gang's green shipping industry, the company is actively exploring the use of clean energy in maritime transport — supporting the broader "Electrified Yangtze River" strategy while nurturing a world‑class green and smart shipping industry at home and abroad.
Measuring 64.90 meters in overall length, 12.60 meters in beam, and 3.50 meters in depth, the "Guoxia 001" has a gross tonnage of approximately 997 tons and a deadweight tonnage of 1,883 tons. It first touched water for trial runs in September 2025. Built to Class III waterway standards, the vessel is designed to handle both container and bulk cargo — flexibly meeting the diverse logistics needs of the city's waterways.
The vessel's core strengths are its green, zero‑carbon, smart, and highly efficient design. Powered by a large‑capacity 1,571 kWh lithium iron phosphate battery system running on pure electricity, it achieves zero emissions, zero pollution, and low noise. The "Guoxia 001" cuts carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 450 tonnes annually and offers a cruising range of 120 kilometers, more than enough to support round‑trip operations on its fixed route. Every core component — from the batteries to the drive motors — is 100% domestically manufactured and backed by fully homegrown intellectual property, showcasing China's technical prowess in new‑energy shipbuilding. The vessel is also equipped with an intelligent navigation system developed jointly by Guoxia New Energy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and other partners. The system fuses data from radar, AIS, cameras, electronic charts, and more — enabling automatic cruising, smart collision avoidance, an unmanned engine room, and big‑data collection. It can autonomously plan optimal routes and execute real‑time precise scheduling, dramatically improving both safety and operational efficiency on inland waterways.
As a flagship green shipping demonstration project for Shanghai's inland waterways, the "Guoxia 001" will help optimize the city's waterborne logistics structure along the Huangpu River, reduce waterfront emissions and noise, support Shanghai's carbon‑peak and carbon‑neutrality goals, and help build an integrated river‑sea intermodal transport system in the Yangtze River Delta. Its stable operation provides a replicable and scalable model for electrifying and digitizing inland river vessels — powering Shanghai's ambition to build a modern, green, low‑carbon, safe, and highly efficient shipping system.
Looking ahead, the Lin‑Gang Special Area will continue to actively support Guoxia New Energy in pushing the next generation of new‑energy vessel technology — expanding its green fleet, improving charging and battery‑swap infrastructure, and extending route coverage. The vision includes developing intelligent driver‑assist systems, onboard energy management systems, smart equipment operation and maintenance, and fully automated engine rooms. A big‑data center will also be built to integrate fleet management, real‑time monitoring, smart engine room diagnostics, and driver fatigue‑warning systems. With the "Guoxia 001" as a benchmark, Lin‑Gang will accelerate the deployment of green and smart vessels — injecting clean energy momentum into inland river shipping and river‑sea intermodal transport. All of this will help Shanghai build itself into a globally leading international shipping center and a high‑quality development demonstration zone for an eco‑friendly, livable city.
