On June 14, 2025, a technical seminar salon focusing on the current status and development trends of power battery technology for inland river electric vessels in China was successfully held at Racern Technology. The event was hosted by the Institute of Carbon Neutrality of Qinghua University and co-organized by China Classification Society and Wuhan Yangtze River Ship Design Institute, aiming to provide a platform for communication and cooperation among experts, scholars and enterprise representatives in the field of electric ships, and jointly contribute to the green and low-carbon transformation of China’s ships.
This salon was held at Racern Technology, highlighting the company’s rich experience and significant position in the field of electric ships, and also reflecting the recognition of Racern Technology by relevant units and enterprises in the transportation industry. Shenzhen Racern Technology Co., Ltd. is one of the earliest enterprises in China to focus on the research and development, production and sales of lithium battery systems for electric ships. Up to now, it has delivered over 1,100 lithium battery system projects for electric ships in China, with a market share of over 50% in the domestic ship lithium battery market, and is actively exploring overseas markets.
01 Background and Significance
In the context of the global green and low-carbon transition, the green and intelligent development of inland waterway vessels has become an inevitable trend. As a major shipping country, promoting the electrification of inland waterway vessels in China is of great significance for achieving the carbon neutrality goal. This salon is held precisely to delve into the key issues of battery technology for electric vessels, share the latest industry progress, and provide technical guidance for the development of inland waterway electric vessels.
02 Overview of the Meeting
The salon attracted the participation of many well-known experts and business representatives in the industry. The in-person participants included professionals from institutions such as the Energy Foundation, Tsinghua University, Wuhan Yangtze River Ship Design Institute, and China Classification Society, as well as technical directors from companies such as Huizhou Ewatt Lithium Energy Co., Ltd. and Zhongke New Energy Technology Group Co., LTD. Experts from Wuhan Yangtze River Ship Design Institute Co., LTD., the Energy Foundation, COSCO Shipping Development Co., Ltd. and other organizations joined online to have in-depth exchanges on power battery technology for electric ships.
The agenda was rich and tight, covering keynote presentations, corporate sharing, technical discussions, and factory visits. Professor Wang Hewu, director of the Zero-Carbon Transportation Center at Tsinghua University Carbon Neutrality Institute, chaired the meeting and elaborated on the background and goals of the project in detail. He pointed out that the development of electric ships plays a significant role in reducing carbon emissions from inland waterway shipping, and battery technology is the key to achieving this goal.
03 Corporate Sharing and Technical Discussion
During the enterprise sharing session, several guests including Liu Jianbo, project manager of Huizhou Ewatt Lithium Energy Co., LTD., and Kong Fanming, general manager of Zhongchuang New Energy Technology Group Co., LTD., shared the technological achievements and practical experiences of their respective enterprises in the field of power batteries for electric ships. They presented the latest progress in battery technology research and development, product innovation, and the formulation of safety standards, and offered prospects for future development.
Lin Qiming, director of the project technology department of Anhui Zhongke Zhonghuan Intelligent Equipment Co., LTD., focused on sharing the technology of Marine battery fire protection systems, emphasizing the importance of battery safety and fire protection technology in the field of electric ships. He pointed out that with the wide application of electric ships, battery fire protection systems will become one of the key technologies to ensure the safe operation of ships.
Yang Bangfa, vice president of safety management at Yichang Jiaoyun Yangtze River Cruise Co., LTD., shared several doubts encountered in the actual use of electric vessels, which is of great reference significance for industry norms and technological development.
Liu Hailong, CTO of Racern Technology, introduced that in order to expand the overseas electric vessel market, Racern Technology is the domestic enterprise that has obtained the most certifications from overseas classification societies. Currently, the company has obtained type approval certificates for DNV, LR, NK Marine lithium battery systems, has an in-depth understanding of the design requirements of various classification societies, and has interpreted and shared the differences in the norms of multiple classification societies.
During the technical discussion session, the experts present engaged in a lively discussion on the experience and obstacles of promoting Marine power battery technology at the application level, the time nodes, scale levels, technical indicators of the pilot promotion of inland pure electric cargo ships, and industry issues in the process of promoting inland pure electric passenger ships. It was agreed that although some progress has been made in electric ship battery technology, there are still many challenges in terms of safety, energy density, cycle life and charging infrastructure.
04 Factory visits and practical exchanges
During the meeting, the participants also visited the factory of Racern Technology. Through the on-site visit, everyone gained a more intuitive understanding of the production process, technology application and quality control of power batteries for electric ships. Zhang Yueqi, chairman of Racern Technology, personally introduced the company’s products and technological advantages and engaged in in-depth exchanges and interactions with the participants.
05 Conference Outcomes and Prospects
The successful holding of this academic salon provides an important exchange platform for the development of power battery technology for inland river electric vessels in our country. Experts and business representatives at the event reached several consensuses by sharing experiences, discussing issues and exchanging views. It was agreed that to achieve large-scale development of electric ships, cooperation is needed in areas such as technological innovation, standard setting and infrastructure construction to jointly promote the advancement of battery technology for electric ships.
In the future, the Institute of Carbon Neutrality of Tsinghua University will continue to collaborate with various forces to hold more similar academic salons and technical exchange activities, further deepening the research and discussion on power battery technology for electric ships. At the same time, it will also actively promote the deep integration of industry, academia, research and application, promote the industrial application of electric ship battery technology, and contribute more wisdom and strength to the green and low-carbon transformation of China’s shipbuilding industry.
In conclusion, this academic salon not only provided an opportunity for experts, scholars and business representatives in the field of electric vessels to exchange and cooperate, but also injected new impetus into the development of China’s inland river electric vessels. It is believed that with the joint efforts of all parties, China’s electric ship battery technology will have a broader development prospect and contribute to the green and low-carbon high-quality development of China’s shipbuilding industry.