Yichang to build over 80 new-energy vessels in 2026
2026-03-05 20:03:50
By Hu Yikai.
Yichang plans to build over 80 new-energy vessels in 2026, aiming to increase their share of the local fleet to more than 10 percent.
To support the green transition, the city will construct three battery-swapping stations and 10 charging stations, alongside an expanded liquefied natural gas (LNG) refueling network and one to two demonstration routes.
Meanwhile, two new-energy Ro-Ro (roll-on/roll-off) vessels will be completed, while the cruise ships Lanyue and Jiguang are expected to enter service.
These efforts are supported by streamlined administrative services. Handling approximately 50,000 vessels and 500,000 crew members annually, the Yichang Municipal Transportation Bureau and Maritime Safety Administration have jointly established the Three Gorges Shipping Service Center.
The center has consolidated 82 administrative services previously scattered across six locations, reducing processing time for new-energy vessel certificates from 20 days to just six working days.
"I completed vessel modification procedures in under 20 minutes on February 26," said Cui Yunming of Yichang Huayi Shipping Co., Ltd. "The entire process was remarkably smooth."
Since its launch, the center has served more than 150 shipping companies and processed 11,943 applications.
Financial support has also been strengthened. Local financial institutions have extended 3.12 billion yuan (US$433 million) in credit lines to port and shipping enterprises. Last year, 75 old vessels were dismantled with 220 million yuan in subsidies distributed — a provincial record.
Yin Jun, Party Secretary and Director of the Yichang Municipal Transportation Bureau, stated that the city will continue to innovate service models and deepen one-stop processing, aiming to establish Yichang as a green shipping hub along the middle and upper reaches of the Yangtze River.
Jin Zhi, Wang Yinhuan, Wu Zengpeng, and Wang Yize also contributed to this story.
Yichang plans to build over 80 new-energy vessels in 2026, aiming to increase their share of the local fleet to more than 10 percent.
Fleets of cargo ships line up in the waterway. Photo from the Yichang Municipal Transportation Bureau.
To support the green transition, the city will construct three battery-swapping stations and 10 charging stations, alongside an expanded liquefied natural gas (LNG) refueling network and one to two demonstration routes.
Meanwhile, two new-energy Ro-Ro (roll-on/roll-off) vessels will be completed, while the cruise ships Lanyue and Jiguang are expected to enter service.
These efforts are supported by streamlined administrative services. Handling approximately 50,000 vessels and 500,000 crew members annually, the Yichang Municipal Transportation Bureau and Maritime Safety Administration have jointly established the Three Gorges Shipping Service Center.
The center has consolidated 82 administrative services previously scattered across six locations, reducing processing time for new-energy vessel certificates from 20 days to just six working days.
"I completed vessel modification procedures in under 20 minutes on February 26," said Cui Yunming of Yichang Huayi Shipping Co., Ltd. "The entire process was remarkably smooth."
Since its launch, the center has served more than 150 shipping companies and processed 11,943 applications.
Financial support has also been strengthened. Local financial institutions have extended 3.12 billion yuan (US$433 million) in credit lines to port and shipping enterprises. Last year, 75 old vessels were dismantled with 220 million yuan in subsidies distributed — a provincial record.
Yin Jun, Party Secretary and Director of the Yichang Municipal Transportation Bureau, stated that the city will continue to innovate service models and deepen one-stop processing, aiming to establish Yichang as a green shipping hub along the middle and upper reaches of the Yangtze River.
Jin Zhi, Wang Yinhuan, Wu Zengpeng, and Wang Yize also contributed to this story.
