Repowering Chinese coastal ferries with battery-electric technology: Operational profiles of Chinese coastal ferries, their energy demand, and the implied battery system assessment

The authors analyze Chinese coastal ferry operations and their energy needs to assess the feasibility of powering the fleet with electric batteries, identifying the regions where electrification of ferries could be implemented first. The authors find that current battery technologies are already adequate for most of China’s coastal fleet operations. Most coastal ferry routes are under 200 kilometers (km), well within the battery ranges of most of the ferries the authors studied. Improved battery technology would help electrify the more difficult ferry operations, such as large Roll-On-Roll-Off-Passenger (Ro-Pax) ferries on the longer routes. Higher charging power during berthing would improve the continuity of electric ferry operations, which is critical when a route is served by just one ship. To prioritize deployment of electric ferries, it would be best to focus at first on electrification of smaller vessels serving shorter routes. Electrification of passenger ferries up to 55 meters (m) long on routes up to 100 km could replace 50% of fossil fuel usage with electric power. For Ro-Pax ferries, the same goal for fossil fuel replacement can be achieved by targeting ships up to 170 m long on routes up to 200 km. Electrification of all coastal ferry operations in the Pearl River Delta region could eliminate more than 30% of the fossil fuel consumed by the whole Chinese coastal ferry fleet in February 2019. Electrification of ferry operations in the Bo Sea region and in the Hainan Strait, where there is much ferry activity, would enable additional fossil fuel elimination of more than 40%.

• Record URL:
  https://theicct.org/sites/default/files/publications/chinese-coastal-ferries-electric-apr2021.pdf
• 
• Summary URL:
  https://theicct.org/publications/chinese-coastal-ferries-electric-apr2021
• Corporate Authors:

  International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT)

  1500 K Street NW, Suite 650
  Washington, DC  United States  20005

  Heising Simons Foundation

  400 Main Street, Suite 200
  Los Altos, CA  United States  94022
• Authors:
  • Mao, Xiaoli
  • Georgeff, Elise
  • Rutherford, Dan
  • Osipova, Liudmila
• Publication Date: 2021-4

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; Maps; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 17p
• Serial:
  • Working Paper
  • Issue Number: 2021-21
  • Publisher: International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT)

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Coastwise shipping; Electric batteries; Electric power; Ferries; Forecasting; Roll on roll off ships
• Geographic Terms: China
• Subject Areas: Energy; Marine Transportation; Planning and Forecasting; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01780791
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Aug 30 2021 2:48PM