China has officially commenced commercial operations for the world’s first standard modular battery swapping ship. The vessel, named Hefu Weilan 01, completed its maiden cargo voyage between Wuhu Port and Chaohu Port in Anhui Province, successfully transporting and unloading 49 standard containers.
The vessel was built through a joint development by Wuhu Shipyard Co., Ltd. and Sandianshui New Energy Technology Co., Ltd. It has a deadweight tonnage of 3,000 tonnes, a top speed of 8 knots, and is specifically designed for inland waterway transport.
Battery-Swapping Infrastructure and Efficiency
Instead of conventional marine fuel systems, the ship relies entirely on a standard modular battery-swapping system.
Key technical parameters of the propulsion system include:
Battery Configuration: Fitted with six modular batteries.
Capacity: Each battery has a capacity of 430 kWh.
Swap Speed: A single battery module can be replaced in approximately five minutes, allowing a full replacement of all six batteries within 30 minutes.
vessel obtained Approval in Principle (AiP) certificates from Bureau Veritas (BV) and DNV. All three certifying bodies are members of the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS), establishing international industry recognition for the technology.
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Automotive Tech Integration
The core architecture behind the vessel is a shared “ship, vehicle, and storage” modular platform developed by Sandianshui New Energy Technology. This infrastructure allows the same batteries used onboard the ship to be transferred ashore for use in port heavy trucks, forklifts, and industrial energy storage systems, establishing a unified energy network around ports. The developers have applied for more than 370 patents covering the project’s technical systems.
Hefu Weilan 01 also integrates several technologies adapted directly from the automotive sector to improve efficiency, reduce weight, and lower energy consumption:
Automotive-Grade Motor: The first commercial ship to use a motor sourced from a new energy vehicle supply chain.
Management Systems: Features a unified electronic and engine management system based on vehicle intelligent cockpit concepts.
Safety and Navigation: Equipped with a 360-degree surround-view collision avoidance system, visual enhancement features, and pre-installed hardware designed for future automatic berthing and unberthing.
Project developers state that the commercial launch of Hefu Weilan 01 will serve as a model for deploying shared modular battery systems across additional inland shipping routes as China expands its low-emission waterway transport networks.