China’s first hydrogen fuel cell container ship launches on inland waterway route

May 27, 2026 |

In China on May 18, the Dongfang Qinggang, a 64-TEU hydrogen fuel cell-powered container vessel, left Jiaxing Port’s Zhapu terminal under its own zero-emission power for Hangzhou Xiasha Port, becoming the first hydrogen fuel cell ship in commercial inland waterway service in China, with a 380-kilometer range, 550-kilogram hydrogen storage capacity and a 240-kilowatt marine fuel cell system developed specifically for the vessel.

The ship is managed by Zhejiang Haigang Inland Shipping on the 120-kilometer Zhapu-Xiasha route. China’s 15th Five-Year Plan designates hydrogen as a priority future industry. Zhapu Economic Development Zone, the vessel’s home port, produces industrial byproduct hydrogen and hosts the full hydrogen supply chain from production through end use.

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Category: Sustainable Marine Fuels

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