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Shipping services are a core part of our society and they
have become increasingly important in the last few decades. It’s the backbone
of our society these days, among others, so we always try to find new, better
ways of shipping products, especially if they can also be faster. That’s why
Cosco, the China Ocean Shipping (Group) Company focused on the idea of bringing
in a more eco-friendly, electric system with their ships.
That’s how the Green Water 01 was created, and it’s
mentioned to be the world’s largest electric container ship. Apparently, one of
the main features brought by the Green Water 01 is that it can navigate from
river to sea without a problem, it’s very effective, and it does provide a huge
range of different solutions. And aside from that, it does have over 10000
tons, which is a feat on its own.
Why was such a large electric container ship created?
The main focus for everyone these days is on sustainability
and protecting the environment. We need to find better, more cohesive ways of dealing
with problems in our society, and a more eco-friendly approach will help.
Sustainability is an issue that people have been dealing with for quite some
time in the world of shipping, because most ships tend to pollute the
environment.
COSCO shipping’s unique focus with the Green Water 01 is to
make this entire process better, easier and also a lot more eco-friendly. The
name of this ship itself shows that they do want to bring a better, yet also
greener way of shipping products. The company itself is specialized in marine
transportation. However, with the Green Water 01, you can also go from river to
the sea, which makes it easier to get into locations that wouldn’t normally be
easy to access.
On top of that, since this is a container shipping vessel,
it can be used to carry all kinds of items, which does make it versatile and
very powerful. You can have it for a more consumer-focused shipping system, or
you can use it for a large range of other solutions, which is a thing to take
into account. After all, China does produce a lot of aluminum and it also
imports a plethora of materials like bauxite. Plus, it does ship stuff
worldwide, which makes these vessels like Green Water 01 a very interesting,
yet necessary solution.
How large is the Green Water 01?
The Green Water 01 is 119.8 meters long and 23.6 meters in
width. On top of that, it’s also 9 meters deep as well. But maybe the most
interesting thing is that it has a speed of 19.4 km/h. That’s great because it
offers the means to traverse large distances while also keeping the shipping
process as secure as it can be. Not only that, but the fact that it has over
10000 tons, that makes it more versatile than many other ships out there.
And there’s also the fact that this is indeed an electric
ship. It delivers a more cohesive and professional approach, yet it also pushes
the boundaries when it comes to reaching larger distances without pressure.
Moreover, the fact that it’s designed to go on rivers does allow a plethora of
interesting opportunities.
It can be used for importing and exporting a lot of raw
materials, but it can also be great for shipping stuff to/from remote
locations, and that alone is certainly a thing that you need to consider. With
that being said, the Green Water 01 does
have a versatile and rather easy to understand system through which you can
improve the battery life, as we will see a bit later in the article. As a
whole, its size and effectiveness do recommend it as a very powerful and also
large solution for eco-friendly shipping services.
It represents multiple firsts for the marine industry
Maybe the most interesting thing with the Green Water 01 is
that it breaks the norm more than once. For example, the length, width and even
the container capacity are the industry’s best right now when it comes to
electric ships. And on top of that, it does allow you to get a decent amount of
deadweight tonnage at 10000 tons. It truly is an exceptional and very
innovative vessel, one that breaks the norms in more ways than one. But then
again, that’s what makes it so spectacular in the first place.
What’s the battery capacity for the Green Water 01?
Since the Green Water 01 is a rather large ship, one might
wonder how good is the battery life for it. According to COSCO, it seems that
they have a combination of batteries, and they add up to 50000 kW of power.
That’s quite interesting, because it allows the ship to sail over many miles
without having to worry about battery life that much.
Even so, the battery capacity does have a limit. That’s why
the Green Water 01 is bringing in a unique, modular approach when it comes to
their batteries. They went with a set of battery modules can be configured
based on the length of your voyage. If necessary, you can add extra 20-food
battery boxes that give you 1600 kWh of electricity can be added on the ship.
So it is possible to increase the effectiveness of the unit,
while also making sure that the entire ship is eco-friendly when it comes to
the consumption. That’s the best of both worlds, and it truly shows the great
effectiveness and quality of such a ship. But it also shows that electric ships
do have a major downside, and that’s the range.
You need to know how much range you require before going
away, otherwise you can remain without electricity and that is a problem.
That’s why you always need more than enough battery life for the Green Water 01.
It’s definitely not a problem for short trips, but in the case of long trips,
that will be a bit of a challenge. Yet still, the fact that an electric
container ship has become so large is what makes it an exceptional innovation.
And we can expect things to get even better in the long term!
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The Green Water 01
has 24 battery boxes, and it can complete trips that will consume up to 80000
kWh of energy. What this accumulates is to around 15 tons of fuel that a
regular ship would consume. That’s quite a lot, and it just goes to show the
great power offered by the ship, but also the improvements when it comes to it
being eco-friendly. The difference is quite impressive, and it’s well worth
considering!
Conserving fuel is a possibility
What’s important to keep in mind is that thanks to the Green
Water 01, now it’s possible to conserve no less than 3900 kg of fuel for each
100 nautical miles traveled. Simply put, you are reducing the carbon dioxide
emissions by around 12.4 tons. Just imagine how much better things can be if
the Green Water 01’s start becoming more of a regular appearance in the world
of ships.
Conserving fuel is of the utmost importance in today’s
world, so having a system that does that reliably and with great success is
what sets it all apart. With that in mind, the system here is quite impressive
and it goes to show the exceptional value that you can receive as long as you
start using newer and more detailed systems to improve how you manage the ship.
And in this case, having more batteries that you can adapt for longer travel
and also not relying on a ton of fuel on board, that alone is totally worth
considering.
Is the Green Water 01 already in use?
Yes, although there are more uses planned for the Green
Water 01 later on, the ship is now doing a weekly service between Shanghai and
Nanjing. However, if this will become a success and we think it might do very
well, then more ships will be made and we will even find some outside of China.
Only time can tell, but we do know for a fact that the ship is indeed in use
and it works extremely well at this time.
We can only assume that this is a test, but if everything is
successful, we can expect these ships to become commonplace. Well, at least in
China for now, and if everything works well, then it might be a regular
apparition in the next decade in many places worldwide. Either this type of
ship, or something similar, with more improvements that will appear down the
line.
Does the electric container ship have any downsides?
The Green Water 01 is definitely a very exciting innovation
in the world of maritime shipping. Having the opportunity to ship stuff quickly
and not having to deal with lots and lots of fuel being consumed can help quite
a lot. However, battery creation for the Green Water 01 is definitely going to
require a lot of resources, which can be seen as a downside by some people.
Another thing to consider about the Green Water 01 is that it
is a bit more expensive when compared to other ships of its size. Although we
assume that once they start complete production for a large number of these,
they will find ways to lower costs. But for now, it is quite the investment and
that might deter some buyers.
Of course, there’s also the downside that you have a limited
amount of energy to work with. Thankfully, that can be circumvented since you
can go ahead and customize the battery packs for the trip. Still, it can become
a nuisance, although the Green Water 01s can be configured for a longer trip in
general. That does require some optimization, and it’s not coming out of the
box. But if you can optimize the battery approach from the start, that might
actually become an advantage.
Since the battery size can be limited, going on an ocean journey
is not always going to be the most exciting experience. However, adapting and
understanding how the process goes can help quite a bit. That’s why the modular
approach matters for the Green Water 01. While we think that the battery system
will get even better in the future, even now it’s not that bad. And the modular
battery packs that you can add on top of the existing system does inspire more
confidence.
Learn More: China Unveils World’s First 10,000-Tonne Electric Container Ship and New Job Opportunities
Where can the batteries be recharged?
Right now, the Green Water 01 is taking stops at various
stations where these batteries can be recharged. That is a good approach
because not only does it save time, it also eliminates a lot of potential
struggles. And not only that, but you will find the batteries to work extremely
well, although the fact that you can replace them can increase their lifespan
too.
We should also note the fact that battery management is a
lot easier with the Green Water 01 too. You have the modular system that allows
you to swap batteries and recharge as needed. In the future, stations will make
it much easier to replace batteries, since you can access fully recharged
batteries there without a problem.
Plus, the Green Water 01 also has a very good, smart management
system designed to adjust energy consumption on-board. That’s exceptional,
because you can easily lower the consumption by reducing or shutting down those
non-essential systems. It’s a unique way of improving battery life, while also
ensuring that the ship reaches its destination on time.
Conclusion
The Green Water 01 is an incredible, very innovative ship and one that does bring in front lots of amazing technologies. The fact that you get a modular battery system is incredible, and the attention to detail they offer stands out as well. Plus, the ships are meant to work on a river, but also on the open seas or oceans. That versatility, combined with a great ship management system shows that Green Water 01 has a lot of potential and it’s a sign to come for a more eco-friendly set of ships in the future!