Electric Ship Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Type (Fully Electric, Hybrid), By System (Energy Storage Systems, Power Conversion, Power Generation, Power Distribution), By Mode of Operation (Manned, Remotely Operated, Autonomous), By Ship Type (Commercial, Defense), By Power (<75KW, 75-150KW, 151-745KW, 746-7,560KW, >7,560KW), By Range (<50Km, 50-100Km, 101-1000Km, >1,000Km), By Tonnage (<500DWT, 500-5,000DWT, 5,001-15,000DWT, >15,000DWT), By End-Use (New Build and Line fit, Retrofit) and By Region(North America, Europe, APAC, Middle East and Africa, LATAM) Forecasts, 2025-2033

Electric Ship Market Size

The global electric ship market size was valued at USD 6.74 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach from USD 7.5 billion in 2025 to USD 17.58 billion by 2033, growing at a CAGR of 11.24% during the forecast period (2025-2033).

Electric ships are electrically pushed deliver, not like traditional diesel engine ships. These ships use a battery financial institution as its supply of electricity to force electric powered motor. A variety of battery banks may be utilized in an electric-powered delivery, inclusive of lead-acid batteries, lithium-ion batteries, and gas cells, amongst others. Solar-powered ships also are utilized in lightweight ships that require low electricity output. However, the electricity necessities of shipment ships can't be fulfilled through completely electric-powered machines because of their heavy weight. Therefore, shipment ships are making use of hybrid diesel-electric-powered machines.

Electric Ship Market Drivers 

Adoption of hybrid and electric propulsion is driving the market

Shipbuilders and operators are shifting in the direction of automation and integration of new-build ships and retrofitting the prevailing ships with hybrid and electric-powered propulsion. This is in reaction to sticking to the IMO 2020 rule. According to this rule, delivery operators should use fuels that must now no longer exceed 0.50% sulfur content material towards the modern restriction of 3.50%. Thus, deliver integrators and proprietors are switching their present diesel-pushed engines with electric powered or hybrid propulsion. Various delivery proprietors of Norway, the US, Greece, China, and France are actively concerned with retrofitting their modern delivery fleet with new technology like hybrid and electric powered. For instance, in January 2019, Wartsila signed a settlement with Hagland Shipping AS to retrofit its diesel-pushed popular shipment vessels with battery hybrid propulsion for shortsea shipping. North American and European international locations have been already enforcing numerous adjustments to their inland transport, as there's an excessive call for the first-rate ability for hybrid and absolutely electric-powered passenger vessels in those regions, and the governments are pushing for a cleanser mode of waterway transportation. Additionally, the fee for the operation of an electric-powered vessel is appreciably decreased than that of a diesel vessel.

Environmental concerns are driving the market

The driving factors of the electric boat and ship market include factors like increased maritime tourism and increased seaborne trade, as most of the world’s goods are carried by ships. As the global economy is dependent on the shipping market, the electric boat market is expected to play a bigger role in this sector as environmental causes have increasingly come to the forefront in this sector. Electric and hybrid types of ships cause less emission and save the environment from getting polluted more. Diesel-operated shipment ships are one of the fundamental contributors to worldwide carbon emissions. Lately, in 2020, Yara International (a chemical employer centered in Oslo, Norway) commissioned a completely electric-powered shipment delivery named Yara Birkeland. The overall value of this completely electric-powered shipment delivery challenge is approx. 30 million USD. Yara Birkeland turned into advanced to transport the freighter among ports and abandon diesel truck usage, for this reason, must be capable of update 40,000 trips in a year. Such surroundings pleasant electric-powered mobility in water is anticipated to enhance the worldwide electric-powered ships market.

Market Restraint

Electric ships have limited range and capacity

Limited travel distance and ability are the main restraints of full-electric powered ships. These ships, on average, can tour eighty km at a single rate. The biggest absolutely electric-powered passenger vessel, the Ellen ferry running in Denmark, can go through a spherical experience of twenty-two nautical miles. A massive challenge concerning electric-powered ships is the variety they could tour earlier than the batteries require recharging. Hybrid ships can alleviate this constraint to a volume with the aid of using putting in diesel mills that may rate the batteries and propel the delivery in instances of greater strength requirement or while the batteries are depleted. However, this doesn't remedy the trouble of getting a “zero-emission” transport and shipping enterprise concept.

The ability in phrases of deadweight tonnage that absolutely electric-powered ships can bring is likewise limited. China’s first absolutely electric-powered shipment delivery can tour eighty km and bring 2,2 hundred lots of shipment. A big box delivery can bring about two hundred thousand boxes and hundreds of shipments. The engine itself weighs about 2 three hundred lots. There is a significant hole between the engine ability of a diesel deliver, and an electric-powered deliver in the quantity of shipment it is able to haul. It is likewise hard to bridge the distance with modern-day battery technology.

Market Opportunity

Supportive regulations are creating new opportunities for the market

Developing authorities to help to sell the use of electric-powered boats and ships to lessen emissions is probably to assist the marketplace increase throughout the forecast period. For example: In 2020, the South Korean authorities introduced a USD 870 million initiative to inspire the improvement of green transport to lessen pollutants resulting from the country’s marine sector.

The 2030 Green Ship-K Promotion Strategy, a relevant part of South Korea’s plans to gain carbon-neutrality through 2050, particularly goals the development and wider use of low-carbon delivery technology, consisting of hydrogen gasoline cells and propulsion systems. The initiative has set an intention of decreasing the country’s transport greenhouse fueloline emissions by 40% withinside the subsequent 25 years and 70% through 2050. Additionally, worldwide regulations, just like the International Maritime Organization, deployed the worldwide sulfur cap in January 2020. Under this regulation, ships, especially business ships and marine vessels, may also require low sulfur fuels to function outdoor the emission manipulates areas, which may also propel electric-powered delivery adoption.

Regional Analysis

On the basis of region, the electric ship market in Europe is expected to grow rapidly, with the highest growth rate predicted from 2021's USD 3.36 billion to USD 11.92 billion by 2030. This growth is mainly due to increasing demand for electric ships, including passenger vessels, tugs, yachts, and cruise ships. Countries together with Norway, Finland, and Denmark have actively begun changing traditional passenger ferries with completely electric-powered passenger ferries. Major traits in self-sustaining electric-powered vessels that use gas cells and remotely managed electric-powered vessels also are using the marketplace in Europe to develop.

Mode of Operation Insight

On the basis of the mode of operation, the electrical delivery marketplace is segmented into manned, remotely operated, and autonomous. The boom of the manned phase may be attributed to the excessive call for electric-powered and hybrid propulsion structures with the aid of using industrial ships, together with cruise ships, ferries, shipment ships, and box ships, amongst others. There is a massive retrofit marketplace capability for manned shipment vessels, as nearly all shipment vessels presently function with a crew.

Recent Developments

• In October 2021 - Groupe Beneteau introduced the purchase of STARFISHER, which has ended up GB PORTUGAL, thereby strengthening its manufacturing capability for 25 to 35-foot powerboats by organizing itself in Portugal.

• In June 2021 - South Korea’s first commercialized hydrogen-electric powered boat turned into unveiled at the 2021 Busan International Boat Show, wherein the Hydrogenia vessel is powered through a Danfoss Editron electric-powered drivetrain and sub-system.
• In May 2021 - Limestone Boats and Vision Marine Technologies partnered to provide electric-powered outboard vehicles geared up to the powerboats produced through Limestone Boats, with a goal to boom as many as 510 powerboats in 2022.
• In December 2020 - Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering introduced that it obtained an order for a 91,000 rectangular meter-sized Very Large Gas Carrier (VLGC) from a shipowner withinside the The delivery is anticipated to be constructed on the OkpoShipyard and added to shipowners through the primary area of 2023.