China launches world’s first fully electric cargo ship

China launched world’s first fully electric cargo ship in Guangzhou, capital city of Guangdong province. It is the first ship in the world to use lithium ion battery. The ship will be mainly used to run in inland section of Pearl River for carrying coal for generation of electric power.

Key Facts

The 2000-metric-ton ship was manufactured by the Guangzhou Shipyard International Company Ltd. It is 70.5 meters long and is powered by 26-tonne lithium battery. It has battery energy of about 2400 kilowatt (kw) hours which is same energy of 40 new energy cars. It can run 80 kilometers after being charged for two hours. Its highest speed is 12.8 kilometers per hour. This all-electric ship will help in reducing shipping costs for electric power operators. The main cost of this ship depends on how much lithium battery it is equipped with. As the ship does not use fossil fuels, it has zero emission, including carbon, sulphur and PM2.5 which will help to protect water quality and marine life. It can be used as passenger liner or a working ship.

Month: Current Affairs - November, 2017