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The Center for American Progress reports
[...] it should be a welcome moment that China's Guangzhou Shipyard International has launched "the world's first electric ship with a capacity" of 2,200 tons, as the state-run Global Times reported1 earlier [in November].
The ship is short-haul: It can travel about 50 miles with its 1,000 lithium batteries after two-hour charge, which is the loading and unloading time for the ship, state news site ChinaNews.com reports.2 So, it can be charged while it is docking.
Sadly, the Chinese spoiled the launch of this otherwise green cargo ship by using it to transport coal for electricity generation on the Pearl River in Guangdong Province. The ship can carry up to 2,300 tons of coal, though ChinaNews.com reports such vessels could in the future be used for "passenger ships, ro-ro ships [roll-on/roll-off vessels carrying wheeled cargo] engineering vessels" and similar purposes.
[1] DNS won't resolve. Google cache.
[2] DNS won't resolve. Google cache. (Chinese)
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Monday December 04 2017, @08:22PM
I guess I should have mentioned the dragging would be on the river bed, since yes, the water mostly goes at drifting ship speed (localized effect do apply).
You know, if you're gonna piss off the eco-conscious by carrying coal, you might as well kick up silt and rip the ecosystem to shreds in the process. Don't go for half-measures. Underwater "sail" for max pushing, giant teeth for max dragging, and after a few passes you'll be safe from pesky organic stuff fouling the hull of blocking the way!