China's first service ship powered by a 500-kilowatt hydrogen fuel cell has been put into operation in Zhongshan, Guangdong Province, according to China Three Gorges Corporation on Monday.

The service ship, Three Gorges hydrogen ship No.1, uses homegrown hydrogen fuel cells and a lithium battery system and will be used for transportation, patrol and emergency in the Three Gorges reservoir area.

The ship marks a significant breakthrough for China's new energy shipbuilding, heralding the exploration into applying hydrogen technology to inland vessels.

The vessel's maximum speed reaches 28 kilometers per hour, and it has a maximum cruise range of 200 kilometers. It also makes less noise and is more cost-efficient compared with traditional oil-fueled ships.

The ship has been certified by the China Classification Society, according to Wang Zhen, director of the system integration office at China State Shipbuilding Corporation.

"The ship is the largest among global official ships in terms of power generation or energy storage," said Wang.

The China State Shipbuilding Corporation and China Yangtze Power Corporation built the ship under the China Three Gorges Corporation (CTG). The construction of the vessel began on May 17, 2022.

Green shipping

China has been witnessing rapid growth in modified and newly built hydrogen-powered ships. The domestic hydrogen fuel cell market is predicted to reach over 10 billion yuan (about $1.45 billion).

The country has rolled out a slew of policies and guidance to accelerate the development of the ship industry fueled by renewable energy, a part of the green effort in achieving China's goal of achieving carbon peaking in 2030 and carbon neutrality in 2050.

Last year, Chinese ship developers doubled down in smart and green technologies and provided new solutions for the global market.

Nantong Cosco Khi Ship Engineering Co., Ltd has self-developed and manufactured the world's largest container ship with a cargo capacity of 24,188 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), as about 10 orders are waiting, according to Xinhua.

The company developed dual-fuel methanol-powered container ships, which attracted market attention once it was launched, enhancing China's shipbuilding capability in terms of mid-to-high-end ship types.

Last March, the world's largest electric cruise ship, Yangtze River Three Gorges No.1, made its maiden voyage and was put into commercial use last April.