Yangtze shipping goes green with shore power

By Yan Wanqin.

Cruise ships at Zigui port are now using shore power, replacing diesel engines with quiet, clean electricity.

Since launching in 2019, Yichang's shore power project along the Yangtze River has supplied 64.6 million kWh of clean electricity to 62,304 vessels, replacing 15,000 tons of diesel fuel and cutting 48,000 tons of emissions.

The project has also saved ship operators over 80 million yuan (US$11.7 million) in energy costs, said Li Xingheng, who oversees shore power operations at State Grid Yichang Power Supply Company.
 

The hybrid cruise ship Vista Harmony is among the latest to adopt the system. While docked in the Three Gorges Dam area, it draws power from shore instead of running onboard generators.

"With shore power, there is no vibration or noise. Passengers feel like they are staying in a floating five-star hotel," said Xiong Yaohua, deputy general manager of Yichang Jiaoyun Yangtze River Cruises Co., Ltd. The electricity also charges the vessel’s 2,500-kW battery pack.

Local residents have noticed the difference. "In the past, idling ships produced black smoke and loud noise," said Zhang Hua, who lives near the port.

Vista Harmony’s hybrid system cuts fuel use by more than 20 percent compared with traditional diesel engines. When docked and connected to shore power, its energy costs drop by over 60 percent.

To support the system, Yichang has installed 179 shore power units across 71 ports and anchorages, using a range of supply models suited to the Three Gorges area.

With more new-energy vessels coming into service, the city plans to expand shore power by upgrading transformers, cables, and connection ports. Charging facilities for the 13,700-ton electric cargo vessel Gezhouba are already under construction.

Ma Lin, Tanyang Chenlei contributed to this story.