Wah Kwong NatPower and Huzhou Wuxing Ruituo Energy have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to develop zero-carbon shipping corridors along inland waterways.
The agreement focuses on establishing a network of electric vessel charging and battery-swapping facilities.
The initiative will begin in the Hangzhou–Jiaxing–Huzhou region of northern Zhejiang, with the aim of extending to other inland waterway networks. The project will integrate energy supply, digital management platforms, and operational systems, providing a coordinated framework for low-emission navigation.
Huzhou has been designated as a pilot zone for inland waterway electrification. The city has already invested in charging infrastructure and grid capacity to support vessel electrification, while also fostering an ecosystem that links smart vessel manufacturing, renewable energy, and route operations.
Under the agreement, Wah Kwong NatPower and Wuxing Ruituo will install charging and battery-swapping infrastructure along key container and bulk cargo routes. Ports, anchorage points, and operational hubs will be included. The partnership also plans to implement a digital platform for monitoring carbon emissions and certifying reductions.
Vincent Ni, General Manager of Wah Kwong NatPower, said:Electrification is the most direct route to decarbonising inland waterways, but it only works when energy infrastructure and vessel operations are developed together, not separately. Our partnership with Wuxing Ruituo allows us to combine international best practice with strong local execution capability, delivering a charging network that is efficient today and scalable tomorrow. We see this as a real-world model for the industry, starting in Huzhou and extending across wider international markets.
The collaboration will also explore standardisation and technological integration, including photovoltaic-storage-charging systems, to support wider adoption of electric vessel operations.
Ms TAO Jing, Huzhou Wuxing Culture and Tourism Investment Development Group Co., Ltd. said:Green and low-carbon development is the core direction of industrial growth, and the electrification of inland waterway shipping is a key measure in advancing the green transformation of the transport sector. Our partnership with Wah Kwong NatPower demonstrates how local capability, international energy technologies, and commercial operating experience can come together to create a model for a zero-carbon route. We will continue to deepen collaboration across the value chain and drive the low-carbon and intelligent upgrading of regional water transport systems.
