World’s Largest All-Electric Container Ship Begins Sea Trials In China

China has begun sea trials of the world’s largest pure electric container ship, Ning Yuan Dian Kun.

The 10,000-ton, 740-TEU open-top vessel departed from Hukou County in Jiujiang, Jiangxi province, on 1 February after completing all outfitting, installation, commissioning, and mooring tests.

Built by Jiangxi Jiangxin Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., the vessel is China’s first domestically built 10,000-ton-class intelligent sea vessel powered entirely by electricity.

The ship is sailing to the Shanghai trial area, where sea trials are scheduled to take place from 6 to 13 February.

The trials will focus on checking the ship’s containerised battery power supply, propulsion motor performance under different operating conditions, hull performance, and autonomous navigation systems.

These tests are required before the vessel can be delivered for commercial service.

The Ning Yuan Dian Kun is 127.8 metres long, with a beam of 21.6 metres and a depth of 10.5 metres. It can carry 740 standard 20-foot containers and is reported to have a maximum speed of about 11.5 knots.

The ship is powered by 10 containerised batteries with a total capacity of up to 19,000 kWh. These batteries supply electricity to two 875 kW permanent-magnet propulsion motors.

The vessel can be charged using high-voltage shore power, and its battery system also allows for quick battery replacement by lifting and swapping the containerised units.

The ship is additionally fitted with a photovoltaic system to provide extra renewable power during operations.

Video Credits: New China TV/YouTube

According to project details, the vessel is designed to operate with zero emissions both at sea and while berthed, including during cargo handling.

In terms of intelligence, the ship integrates an intelligent control platform and a smart engine room.

It is equipped with autonomous navigation functions in open waters, including real-time monitoring around the vessel, all-weather visual perception, route planning, unmanned operation features, and autonomous collision avoidance.

These systems allow the ship to switch between different navigation modes as required.

Once delivered, the Ning Yuan Dian Kun will be operated by Ningbo Ocean Shipping Co., Ltd., serving feeder routes linked to the Ningbo-Zhoushan port.

It is the first of two 740-TEU pure electric open-top container ships ordered by the company. The second vessel will be named Ning Yuan Dian Peng.

The project has received national attention. In 2025, the 740TEU Pure Electric Container Sea Vessel Research and Application Demonstration Project was included in China’s Green and Low-Carbon Advanced Technology Demonstration Project List (Second Batch).

The aim is to develop a replicable and scalable model for zero-carbon coastal shipping. The vessel was launched on 29 September 2025, with its 10 containerised batteries installed on 29 November 2025.

After completing all mooring tests in late January this year, the ship received approval to begin sea trials, bringing it closer to entering commercial service.

References: chinadaily, worldports

Source: Maritime Shipping News