VESSEL REVIEW | Yu New Energy 006 – Electric inland cargo ship with unmanned navigation systems

Chinese shipowner Huzhou Port Shipping has taken delivery of a new electric cargo vessel built locally by the Henan Transport Investment Group.

Yu New Energy 006 (豫新能006; Yuxinneng 006) was built to be capable of operation along inland waterways in Henan province. She is also the final vessel in a series of four ordered by the same company.

The newbuild and her three sisters were completed as production examples based on an earlier electric inland cargo vessel prototype that is now also being operated within Henan. The series was developed to address a shortage of cargo vessels in Henan, as the province’s narrow and shallow waterways and low bridges have hindered the operation of ships of traditional designs.

Capable of both remote controlled and autonomous transits

Yu New Energy 006 has an LOA of 59.8 metres (196 feet), a beam of 10.98 metres (36.02 feet), and a draught of only 2.4 metres (7.9 feet). Although the water level on her intended route can drop to less than two metres (6.6 feet) during the dry season, she can still navigate safely with a reduced load.

Power for the ship is provided by a lithium iron phosphate battery pack driving an electric motor, which in turn drives a propeller. The battery pack is placed at the stern.

The vessel also features systems that will permit either fully autonomous navigation or remote operation from an external source. She was built with an emphasis on sensor fusion wherein data collected by the various onboard sensors are presented in a more streamlined format to the operators.

Configured for safe navigation in narrow waters

The wheelhouse is placed well forward to provide the bridge crew with unobstructed visibility when navigating busy inland waterways.

Yu New Energy 006 and her three sisters will be operated primarily along the stretch of the Ying River that runs from the city of Pingdingshan to the border between Henan and Anhui province. The ships were built to also be capable of managing the small turning radii at some portions of the river.