From Riverboats To Global Ports: CATL Is Winning The Shipping Electrification Race - CleanTechnica

CATL, the world’s largest battery manufacturer, is leading the maritime shipping electrification movement with its batteries and integrated energy management systems already operating in about 900 vessels. This scale of deployment highlights that electrification in shipping is no longer experimental but a mature, operational infrastructure. Unlike the public focus on alternative fuels that face cost, supply, and complexity challenges, CATL’s approach targets segments of maritime transport where electrification is practical today, such as inland waterways, coastal passenger routes, ports, and canals. Their marine subsidiary, Contemporary Amperex Electric Vessel (CAEV), offers fully integrated certified systems combining batteries, power electronics, propulsion, and control, alongside onshore charging and battery swapping infrastructure, and cloud-based fleet monitoring and optimization. This integration reduces operational risks and lifecycle costs compared to fragmented supplier models. CATL’s systems power a variety of vessels including the Changjiangsanxia 1, a large all-electric passenger ship on the Yangtze River, and the Yujian