CATL, the world's largest battery maker, is aggressively pursuing electrification of the global shipping fleet, aiming to replicate its success in electric vehicles on the high seas. The Chinese company, which controls 37 per cent of the EV battery market and 22 per cent of energy storage systems, has already deployed batteries on approximately 900 ships, mostly smaller vessels operating near China's coastline.

Electrifying maritime operations is central to Beijing's decarbonization goals and reducing reliance on foreign energy resources. The International Maritime Organization aims to cut global shipping emissions by half by 2050, with batteries offering a solution for nearshore operations. Chinese companies are also exploring clean fuels like green methanol, ammonia, and hydrogen as alternatives to heavy-fuel oil.

CATL plans to more than double its marine business unit to about 500 employees this year, focusing on batteries that meet the "extremely high" requirements of ocean operations. The company reported a net profit of Rmb72.2bn ($10.4bn) in 2025, up 42 per cent year-on-year. While large-scale adoption of purely battery-powered deep-sea vessels faces technical challenges due to low energy density compared to fuels, CATL is developing battery-swap models for vessel operators and collaborating with ports and governments to build a new marine battery industry from scratch.