photo: web

Yangtze River Three Gorges 1, the world's largest electric cruise ship, has successfully returned to its home port in Yichang, central China's Hubei Province, after completing a trial voyage, according to information published on the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council (SASAC).

Yangtze River Three Gorges 1 is the world's largest electric cruise with the largest battery capacity and the most advanced intelligence level produced to date. The ship is powered by 7500 KWH marine power battery from CATL, the equivalent to the total battery capacity of more than 100 electric vehicles.

The ship is the first electric vessel in the world to have achieved true "zero emissions" as it is powered by clean hydropower, generated by the Three Gorges Dam.

The ship will be properly fitted out and furnished before being put into commercial operation in April this year, and will be used to service Yangtze River sightseeing trips near Yichang. It is 100 meters long, 16.2 meters wide, and designed to carry 1,300 passengers. 

Manufactured by China Yangtze Power Co under China Three Gorges Corporation and Hubei Yichang Transportation Group the ship is a move by the Three Gorges Corporation to tap into clean energy and green transportation, according to the group.

With the cruise trips as a starting point, the group will expand the development of the marine electric vehicle market, integrating a network of electric charging points along the river system, marking a new era for the country's green marine transport sector, the group said.

As of January 12, the installed renewable energy capacity of the China Three Gorges Corporation exceeded 100 million kilowatts, with hydropower accounting for nearly 70 percent of the total installed capacity, meaning that the Yangtze River has become the world's largest clean energy water corridor.

As of 2021, the group had generated more than 340 billion kilowatt hours of electricity from renewable energy, equivalent to replacing about 100 million tons of standard coal and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by around 280 million tons.