China’s progressive drive to curb emissions from ships will see the use of 135 LNG-powered inland river vessels plying the Shanghai River by 2017, according to Shanghai Municipal Transport Commission.

Zhang Lin, deputy director of Shanghai Municipal Transport Commission, told reporters that the authorities are pushing ahead with plans to introduce more inland LNG-fueled vessels, increasing from the current 35 that are in operation.

“The plan is to deploy an additional 100 more LNG-fueled vessels onto Shanghai River within the next two years to meet growing demand,” Zhang said at last week’s Marintec China 2015 press conference held in Shanghai.

The introduction of more LNG-powered vessels is in line with a 2015-2020 action plan announced by China’s ministry of transport on 31 August, under which China will establish emission control areas for ships and other waterborne vessels.

The plan has spelled out targets for ships and port pollution prevention and control, covering coastal and inland river ports and docks, and at shipyards.

Ships will be required to meet the standards by 2020, and those that failed the standards by the deadline will be made obsolete over time. For Chinese shipbuilders, this points to growing demand for environmentally-friendly vessels.

Marintec China, to be held from 1-4 December 2015 in Shanghai, will feature innovation and green technology as a key forum theme, tying in with China’s strategy to promote technological innovation in its shipbuilding industry.