In what is dubbed the “world’s largest electric cruise ship”, the Yangtze River Three Gorges 1 recently completed its maiden voyage from its home port of Yichang in central China’s Hubei province. The 100-meter-long zero-emission vessel can carry up to 1,300 passengers at a time and is powered by batteries totaling 7,500 kWh, the equivalent of more than 100 electric vehicles.
The Yangtze River Three Gorges 1 is a 100% electric cruise ship developed and built in China to carry passengers on sightseeing tours on the Yangtze River.
The vessel was developed by China Yangtze Power, a subsidiary of China Three Gorges Corp, and Hubei Three Gorges Tourism Group to the tune of 150 million yuan ($23.66 million).
Manufacturers are touting the electric cruise ship as the first to achieve “true zero emissions” as it is charged using clean hydroelectric power generated by the Three Gorges Dam in its home port.
Last January, the electric cruise ship made his first test trip, return home safely to Yichang. At that time, the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River 1 needed to be furnished and properly equipped for commercial operation.
This week, the electric cruise ship made its maiden voyage to China, marking the start of Three Gorges Corporation’s planned expansion of the electric marine vehicle market.
This electric cruiser can travel cleanly, but not very far
People’s Daily Online covered the news of the ship’s maiden voyage out of China this week, sharing some specifications of the zero-emission ship. The vessel is 100 meters (328 feet) long and 16.3 meters (~54 feet) wide and has room for 1,300 passengers eager to see the sights along the Yangtze River…but not too far from Yichang.
The electric cruiser is equipped with a battery capacity of 7,500 kWh, one of the largest, if not the the largest battery packs in an electric vehicle in the world. However, even such a huge capacity cannot provide the necessary range for the large ship to travel long distances on the water.
The ship’s current range is approximately 100 km (62 miles) with a charge. Plenty of choice for sightseeing along the river, but certainly not enough to compete with the vacation cruise lines at this point. That being said, that 100 km range equates to 530 metric tons of fuel, which translates to 1,660 tons less toxic emissions each year.
Lei Mingshan, chairman of China Three Gorges Corp, said the electric cruise ship is a milestone in promoting green transportation, protecting the Yangtze River and a glimpse of a low-carbon future in sea travel. .
Mingshan also said the company sees the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River 1 maiden voyage as a starting point to increase investment in zero-carbon industry in the Yangtze River Basin. Check out the all-electric cruise ship setting sail below:
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