Against the backdrop of the global "dual carbon" goals and the green transformation of the shipping industry, power lithium batteries are rapidly penetrating the marine vessel sector from the land transportation field, completely changing the inherent pattern of traditional vessels driven by heavy oil with high pollution emissions. From inland river sightseeing boats to ocean-going scientific research vessels, from luxury yachts to port workboats, power lithium batteries have become the core choice for vessel power upgrading, thanks to their core advantages of "zero emissions, low noise, and high energy efficiency". The benchmark cases in the industry clearly demonstrate their application potential and breakthrough directions in the maritime field.​

1. Technical Adaptation: From "Land" to "Ocean", Overcoming Special Challenges in Marine Vessel Scenarios​

The particularity of the operating environment of marine vessels imposes strict requirements on power lithium batteries, such as "salt spray resistance, anti-vibration, wide temperature range, and long endurance". Compared with the on-vehicle scenario, marine lithium batteries need to work stably in a high-humidity, highly corrosive, and dynamically swaying environment. Leading enterprises have successfully broken through the technical barriers of maritime applications through technical customization.​

Take Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited (CATL) as an example. Its "Marine Pro" lithium battery system, specially developed for marine vessels, adapts to maritime scenarios through three core technological innovations. Firstly, it adopts a "fully sealed anti-corrosion shell + nano-coating" design, with a salt spray resistance level meeting the ISO 12944-5 C5-M standard, enabling stable operation in the highly corrosive marine environment for more than 5 years. Secondly, it is equipped with a "3D dynamic balance BMS (Battery Management System)" that can adjust the posture of the battery pack in real-time, maintaining stable charging and discharging efficiency even when the ship swings at an angle of ±30°. Thirdly, it has developed a "wide temperature range thermal management system" that can work normally in extreme temperatures from -20°C to 60°C, perfectly adapting to multi-scenario needs such as Arctic and Antarctic scientific research vessels and tropical offshore workboats. Currently, this system has been applied to the auxiliary power system of China's polar research vessel "Xuelong 2", increasing the vessel's endurance to 1,500 nautical miles in silent navigation mode while achieving "zero carbon emissions" during operations, providing technical support for the ecological protection of the polar regions.​

BYD also performs prominently in the field of technical adaptation. Its "Blade Battery Marine Version", developed for inland river sightseeing boats, optimizes the cell arrangement and structural strength. While meeting the weight reduction needs of the vessel, it increases the impact resistance level of the battery pack to the IEC 61076-2-106 standard. The Suzhou Taihu Lake sightseeing boats equipped with this battery not only achieve "zero noise and zero pollution" throughout the journey but also increase the single-charge endurance to 80 kilometers. The daily operating cost is 60% lower than that of traditional diesel-powered boats, and carbon emissions are reduced by approximately 120 tons per year, making it a demonstration project for green inland river shipping.​

2. Scenario Implementation: From "Inland Rivers" to "Ocean-Going", Covering All Types of Marine Vessels​

With the maturity of technology, the application of power lithium batteries in the marine vessel field has gradually expanded from short-distance inland river boats to ocean-going cargo ships, special workboats, luxury yachts, and other categories, forming an application pattern of "full-scenario coverage". The cooperation cases between leading enterprises and shipping companies have become benchmarks for industry implementation.​

In the field of inland river shipping, the cooperation between EVE Energy and China Yangtze Shipping Group is highly representative. The two parties jointly developed a "1,200-ton pure electric bulk carrier", equipped with EVE Energy's 280kWh large-capacity lithium iron phosphate battery pack. Through the dual mode of "shore power fast charging + on-board energy storage", it achieves a single-charge endurance of 200 kilometers, which can meet the short-distance transportation needs between ports in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. Since its operation one year ago, the ship has transported a total of over 500,000 tons of cargo, replacing approximately 800 tons of diesel consumption and reducing carbon emissions by 2,500 tons. It has successfully verified the feasibility of pure electric power in inland river cargo ships. Currently, China Yangtze Shipping Group plans to order 50 such ships in batches.​

In the field of ocean-going special ships, the cooperation between Panasonic Energy and the Norwegian shipping company Havila Kystruten is a milestone. The two parties built a "hybrid power system" for the luxury cruise ship "Havila Aurora", with Panasonic's 21700 lithium battery as the core energy storage unit, combined with LNG power. This enables the cruise ship to operate in the "pure electric silent mode" when sailing in the Norwegian fjords. In this mode, the noise of the cruise ship is reduced to below 50 decibels, which not only improves the tourist experience but also avoids the damage of diesel emissions to the fragile ecology of the fjords. Data shows that this hybrid power system reduces the carbon emissions of the cruise ship by 40% compared with traditional diesel power, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 12,000 tons per year, and providing a replicable solution for the green upgrading of ocean-going cruise ships.​

In the field of port workboats, the cooperation between Gotion High-Tech and Shanghai International Port Group has also achieved remarkable results. Aiming at the operating characteristics of port tugboats, such as "high frequency, short endurance, and high load", Gotion High-Tech has customized and developed a "fast-charging lithium iron phosphate battery pack" that supports "charging to 80% capacity in 1 hour", perfectly matching the operating rhythm of tugboats of "1 hour of operation and 1 hour of charging". Currently, 20 pure electric tugboats equipped with this battery have been put into use at Shanghai Yangshan Port. The daily operation efficiency is 20% higher than that of traditional tugboats, the operating cost is reduced by 50%, and "zero emissions" in port operations is achieved, helping Shanghai Port build the "world's first zero-carbon port".​

3. Sustainable Development: From "Usage" to "Circulation", Building a Full-Life-Cycle System for Marine Vessel Batteries​

The service life of marine vessel lithium batteries is usually 8-10 years. The recycling and echelon utilization of retired batteries have become key issues for the sustainable development of the industry. Leading enterprises have realized the closed loop of "usage - retirement - recycling" of marine vessel lithium batteries through the "full-life-cycle management" model, promoting the green development of the maritime field.​

The cooperation between GEM Co., Ltd. and China State Shipbuilding Corporation has pioneered the recycling of marine vessel lithium batteries. The two parties jointly established a "Maritime Battery Recycling Center". Aiming at the characteristics of marine vessel lithium batteries, such as "large volume, difficult disassembly, and high transportation costs", they innovatively adopted the model of "on-site disassembly + regional centralized processing": a professional team boards the ship to complete the disassembly of the battery pack, transports it to the recycling center via a dedicated transport ship. After testing and sorting, the batteries with a health level of more than 80% are used for echelon utilization in port energy storage power stations, and the remaining batteries are used for metal material recycling. The recovery rate of metals such as nickel, cobalt, and lithium reaches more than 99.3%. By the end of 2024, the center had recycled more than 5,000 tons of retired marine vessel lithium batteries and recycled 1,200 tons of metals, which is equivalent to reducing the mining of primary minerals by 3,000 tons. At the same time, it provides China State Shipbuilding Corporation with a "full-life-cycle carbon footprint report of batteries", helping its ship products meet the carbon reduction requirements of the International Maritime Organization (IMO).​

In the field of echelon utilization, the cooperation between LG Energy Solution and the Dutch port operator APM Terminals is also worthy of attention. The two parties reorganized the retired marine lithium batteries into a "port energy storage system" for power regulation of port container cranes. This not only solves the problem of power grid load fluctuation during the operation of cranes but also extends the residual value of the batteries by 5-8 years. Currently, this system has been put into use at the Port of Rotterdam, saving the port approximately 2 million euros in electricity costs per year and reducing carbon emissions by 800 tons, realizing the resource circulation of "marine batteries - port energy storage".​

Conclusion: Power Lithium Batteries, Reshaping the Future of Maritime Power​

From technical adaptation to scenario implementation, from full-life-cycle management to green ecological construction, power lithium batteries are promoting the marine vessel industry from the "traditional diesel era" to the "green electric era" with their core advantages of "zero emissions, high adaptability, and sustainability". With the implementation of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) 2025 carbon reduction regulations and the policy support for the greening of inland water transportation and coastal shipping in various countries, the application of power lithium batteries in the marine vessel field will usher in explosive growth.​

For maritime enterprises, choosing suitable lithium battery technology and laying out a full-life-cycle management system will be the key to seizing the opportunity of green shipping. For practitioners, fields such as the technical research and development, scenario application, and recycling of marine vessel lithium batteries will provide new career development opportunities. What do you think about the application potential of power lithium batteries in scenarios such as ocean-going shipping and inland water transportation? Welcome to share your views in the comment section!​