Guilin Wuzhou, Tiancheng pitch hydrogen boat for Dongjiang Lake
In China, a shipmaker that successfully trialed the world’s first bioethanol-reforming hydrogen vessel on the Li River last July is in talks to bring the same technology to Dongjiang Lake, a protected national water source in Hunan province.
Guilin Wuzhou, a state-owned shipbuilder based in Guangxi, hosted a delegation from Hunan last month that included local government officials, Dongjiang Lake Tourism Development Group, and hydrogen energy firm Tiancheng. The visit focused on whether Guilin Wuzhou’s cycloidal propeller system, already deployed on Li River tourist boats and approved as a major regional technical breakthrough, could meet Dongjiang Lake’s strict environmental and noise standards.
The cycloidal propeller, which uses vertical rotating blades to push a vessel in any direction with exceptional precision, is well suited to shallow, ecologically sensitive inland waterways where conventional propellers would cause too much disturbance. Guilin Wuzhou and Tiancheng are now exploring a joint venture that would pair the shipbuilder’s propulsion technology with Tiancheng’s hydrogen power systems to build a custom vessel for the lake.
Category: Sustainable Marine Fuels
