CCS identifies safety and regulatory gaps in China’s inland vessel transition
In China, expanding the use of methanol, battery and hydrogen power on inland vessels will require stronger safety standards, fuel infrastructure and inspection systems, China Classification Society said in a post on its official WeChat account.
“The key to promoting new energy and clean energy inland vessels is to improve the system of rules and standards, thereby ensuring the inherent safety of new energy vessels and laying a solid regulatory foundation for large-scale adoption,” CCS said.
Priorities include refining methanol vessel requirements to support freight routes on the Yangtze and Xijiang rivers, establishing standards for marine batteries and charging infrastructure, and addressing hydrogen storage, supply and bunkering safety.
CCS also called for nationwide waterborne bunkering procedures and intelligent inspection systems incorporating remote monitoring, real time data collection and abnormality warnings.
China’s Action Plan for Promoting New Energy Inland Vessels from 2026 to 2030, issued Sept. 29 by the Ministry of Transport and two other government agencies, aims to double the country’s inland new energy vessel fleet by 2028 compared with 2025.
Category: Sustainable Marine Fuels
