China’s first hydrogen fueled vessel embarks service voyage

(Yichang, Hubei Province) A hydrogen fueled vessel arrived Yichang, Hubei province on July 1st, it’s the first hydrogen fueled vessel to embark on service in China, marking a historic moment for hydrogen deployment in marine sector in China.

This vessel has a length of 49.9 m and a width of 10.4 m, powered by a 500kw fuel cell system. With 32 high pressure hydrogen tank, it can cruise 200 km at 20km/h speed. The vessel will be utilized for transportation, examination, and emergency activities in the Three Gorges reservoir zone.

Maritime shipping accounts for approximately one-quarter of all emissions from the global transportation sector. Emitting nearly one billion tons of CO2 per year, the shipping industry faces intense pressure to decarbonize in the coming decades. The International Maritime Organization (IMO), the United Nations’ regulatory body for shipping, called for a 50 percent reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050, compared to 2008 levels.

However, shipping is one of the most difficult sector to decarbonize. Among several alternative fuel, hydrogen is inarguably the most promising one. A Global Maritime Forum study from March 2021 examined 106 projects looking at zero emissions in maritime shipping worldwide and found that nearly half of these initiatives focused on hydrogen as a low-carbon fuel source. A key advantage of hydrogen over other fuel alternatives is the relative ease of retrofitting existing ships with hydrogen fuel cells.

hydrogen-powered ferries and smaller shipping vessels have been piloted in the United States, Belgium, France, and Norway, and now China joint the list.