Wah Kwong NatPower partners to develop inland vessel electrification infrastructure in China

Electric shore power infrastructure firm Wah Kwong NatPower has partnered with Huzhou Wuxing Ruituo Energy to develop a network of charging and battery-swapping facilities for electric vessels across China’s major inland waterways.

IMAGE: Illustration of an inland vessel charging station. ENGINE via Gemini

Under the agreement, the two companies will roll out infrastructure along key container and bulk cargo routes, covering ports, anchorage areas and key operational hubs.

In addition to the physical network, the partnership will introduce a digital platform alongside systems for carbon emissions monitoring and certification.

The project will begin in the Hangzhou–Jiaxing–Huzhou region in northern Zhejiang, before expanding across the country’s broader inland waterway network.

“Electrification is the most direct route to decarbonising inland waterways, but it only works when energy infrastructure and vessel operations are developed together, not separately,” said Vincent Ni, general manager at Wah Kwong NatPower.

Wah Kwong NatPower is a joint venture between UK-based renewable energy developer NatPower Marine and Hong Kong-based shipping company Wah Kwong.

By Tuhin Roy

Please get in touch with comments or additional info to news@engine.online