On October 11th, China's first hydrogen fuel-powered ship, the "Three Gorges Hydrogen Boat No. 1", set sail from the Three Gorges Tourist Center located at the Ninth Wharf in Wujiagang District, Yichang City. This marks a groundbreaking achievement for Chinese hydrogen fuel cell technology applied in inland waterway vessels.

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The "Three Gorges Hydrogen Boat No. 1" has a length of 49.9 meters, a width of 10.4 meters, and a depth of 3.2 meters. It can achieve a top speed of 28 kilometers per hour and has a range of up to 200 kilometers. The vessel was co-developed and built by the China Three Gorges Corporation and the 712th Research Institute of China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation.

"Compared to traditional fuel-powered vessels, the 'Three Gorges Hydrogen Boat No. 1' is expected to replace 103.16 tons of fuel annually, reducing CO2 emissions by 343.67 tons," said the technical staff. The ship's hydrogen fuel cell has a rated output power of 500 kilowatts. Once operational, the vessel will be used for transportation, inspection, and emergency services between the Three Gorges Reservoir Region and the span between the Three Gorges Dam and Gezhouba Dam, operating with zero emissions and zero pollution.

To address the refueling requirements of the "Hydrogen Vessel", a hydrogen refueling station was constructed at Yangjiawan Wharf downstream of the Three Gorges Dam. This "China Three Gorges Green Power Hydrogen Demonstration Station" is the first integrated hydrogen production and refueling station for inland wharves in China. It utilizes the clean electric power generated by the Three Gorges power station to electrolyze water for hydrogen production. The hydrogen gas undergoes compression, storage, and refueling processes to directly supply hydrogen-powered vessels, achieving a safe and fast hydrogen filling rate of 240 kilograms per hour.

The "Yangtze Three Gorges 1", which made its maiden voyage in Yichang in 2022, is China's domestically developed electric cruise ship with the largest battery capacity globally, using green electricity to replace fuel and promoting the "Electrified Yangtze". Now, with the domestically developed "Three Gorges Hydrogen Boat No. 1" utilizing green hydrogen technology, it furthers the "Hydrogen-powered Yangtze" initiative. The launch of these two "Green Arks" holds significant demonstrative importance for the major conservation of the Yangtze River and the green, low-carbon development of inland waterway transportation.

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