On October 21, 2026, China Zorrilla, the world's largest battery-powered ship, held an inauguration ceremony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and successfully completed its maiden voyage, marking a major breakthrough in the commercial all-battery operation of large high-speed passenger ro-ro ferries.

The vessel, originally under the project code Incat Hull 096, was built by Australian Tasmanian shipyard Incat for South American ferry operator Buquebus. Notably, the ship was initially planned to use an LNG propulsion solution but was redesigned midway through development to rely entirely on battery power, making it a rare 10,000-tonne-class all-battery high-speed catamaran passenger ro-ro project in the world.

The ship has an overall length of 130 meters, a beam of 32 meters, and three decks, capable of carrying 2,100 passengers and 225 vehicles. It features a 2,300-square-meter duty-free commercial service area, combining passenger transport, vehicle carriage, and commercial consumption functions. The energy storage system is supplied by Corvus Energy, with batteries weighing more than 250 tonnes in total and a total energy storage capacity exceeding 40 MWh—about four times the storage scale of previous maritime battery vessels. The entire energy storage system drives eight waterjet propulsion motors, with a design speed of up to 25 knots. The 55–60 km cross-river route takes 90 minutes per crossing, with zero carbon emissions throughout the voyage, eliminating exhaust, vibration, and noise from diesel engines and greatly enhancing the passenger experience.

The ferry's electricity supply comes from the Uruguayan grid, which is dominated by renewable sources such as wind and hydropower, achieving low-carbon sustainability across the entire operating cycle from the source—not merely zero emissions during navigation. The dock's supporting charging facilities take about 95 minutes for a full charge, matching the vessel's round-trip operating rhythm and supporting multiple round trips per day.