Research status and prospect of inland electric ships

Under the background of the carbon peaking and carbon neutrality strategy and the green and low-carbon transition of inland shipping,electrification has become an important direction for the power transformation of inland ships.However,existing studies have mostly focused on single technologies,local demonstrations,or policy discussions,and a systematic synthesis of technology route boundaries,engineering constraints,and conditions for large-scale application in different application scenarios is still lacking. To address these issues,a method combining literature review and case comparison was adopted in this study. Representative academic papers,demonstration projects,standards and policies,and industrial practices in recent years were selected. A classified review was carried out from the aspects of development stage,typical scenarios,technology routes,energy replenishment modes,and business models. A cross-comparison was further conducted around ship types,routes,energy replenishment,dispatching,and regulation. The results show that inland electric ships have formed an engineering application foundation in short-distance,fixed-route,high-frequency,and public service scenarios,but the industry as a whole is still in the transition stage from demonstration application to large-scale application. Pure battery power is more suitable for ferry ships,official ships,sightseeing ships,and some short-distance fixed-route cargo transport scenarios. The battery swapping mode depends on standardized battery units,fixed routes,and high-frequency operating conditions,while hybrid power still has transitional value in medium-and long-distance voyages,complex operating conditions,and areas with insufficient energy replenishment facilities. It is concluded that the key issue of the industry has shifted from the feasibility of single-ship electrification to system matching. In the future,priority should be given to scenario screening,ship type standardization,construction of energy replenishment networks,validation with real-ship data,and sustainable business mechanisms,so as to steadily promote the large-scale application of inland electric ships.