China's Hubei province has signed batch construction agreements for 89 battery-swapping bulkers, marking a shift from individual demonstration vessels to series production of electric inland ships. The package, unveiled at an inland shipping forum in Wuhan, comprises 29 vessels of 10,000 dwt, 20 of 5,000 dwt and 40 of 3,000 dwt. All three designs were developed under provincial guidance led by Huadian Yangtze (Hubei) Smart Energy and adopted as recommended standard vessels for Hubei's Electrified Yangtze programme. Under a hull-and-battery separation model, owners buy the ship but lease interchangeable battery packs, swappable at charging stations along their routes. Huadian Yangtze has separately signed energy-supply agreements covering 109 vessels and plans further charging and swapping infrastructure along the Yangtze, Han River and tributaries. The 10,000 dwt ships will serve iron ore and coal trades between Chongqing and Jiangyin, with construction starting before year-end. The 5,000 dwt design targets Hubei, Hunan and Jiangxi routes and the Three Gorges reservoir, entering service in 2027, while the 3,000 dwt vessels, for the Wuhan–Xiangyang corridor, begin batch deployment in the first quarter of next year. Huadian says separating battery ownership can cut initial outlay by 20% to 50%, with construction times down about 20% and costs about 10% lower. The move follows Hubei's launch of the 13,740 dwt battery-electric bulker Gezhouba in October last year and comes as China's electric cargo fleet grew from four vessels in 2022 to 42 in 2025. Individual owners, yards, battery capacities and contract values have not been disclosed.