On July 16, the launching ceremony of "Yuntao-1," the nation's first 2,000-ton hydrogen-powered cargo and bulk carrier, was held in Zhaoqing, Guangdong. The vessel was jointly developed by Guangdong Yuntao Hydrogen Energy Technology Co., Ltd. and China State Shipbuilding Corporation, marking a breakthrough in the full industrial chain autonomy of China's large-scale inland river hydrogen-powered cargo ships.
As the largest hydrogen-powered cargo ship currently in China, it is equipped with a 100% domestically produced marine fuel cell system, integrating advantages such as zero carbon emissions, long range, low cost, and comprehensive safety. This provides a replicable and scalable "Yuntao Solution" for the green transformation of the country's inland waterway shipping.
According to reports, "Yuntao-1" has a total length of 70 meters and a beam of 14 meters, with a cruising range of 760 kilometers. It can carry approximately 140 containers or bulk cargo such as ore, coal, and grain in a single voyage, making it suitable for large-scale inland freight scenarios. The vessel utilizes Yuntao Hydrogen Energy's self-developed hydrogen fuel cell integrated power system, featuring three 260-kilowatt marine hydrogen fuel cell generator sets paired with lithium battery range extension. It is also equipped with intelligent energy management and multiple hydrogen safety protection systems, achieving zero carbon, zero noise, and zero pollutant emissions throughout the journey, along with advantages such as heavy load capacity and low hydrogen consumption. The hull has been optimized for low resistance and features intelligent navigation warnings, balancing load capacity, range, and navigation safety, and can adapt to complex inland waterways including shoals, rapids, and ecological control zones. Under equivalent tonnage and route conditions, it achieves a range of 760 kilometers with a hydrogen consumption of 1 kilogram per kilometer, reducing fuel operating costs by 25% to 30% compared to traditional diesel ships, offering an economical, safe, and comfortable integrated mature solution for the green transformation of inland shipping enterprises.
Yang Qiang, Chairman of Yuntao Hydrogen Energy, stated that "Yuntao-1" has realized a mature commercial hydrogen energy solution, overcoming multiple key technologies in waterway transport while combining carbon reduction and cost advantages. Yuntao Hydrogen Energy has led the formation of a hydrogen-powered ship innovation consortium to consolidate the industrial chain, planning to deploy 100 standardized hydrogen-powered ships on the Pearl River within four years and improve supporting hydrogen refueling infrastructure on water, continuously leveraging technology and industrial ecosystems to support the "dual carbon" development of transportation.
On the same day, the China Hydrogen-Powered Ship Industry Innovation Consortium, led by Yuntao Hydrogen Energy, was officially established. The consortium initially includes nearly 40 enterprises covering the entire industrial chain, including ship design, equipment manufacturing, material research and development, and operation services, achieving comprehensive integration of the core supply chain for hydrogen-powered ships. During the event, Yuntao Hydrogen Energy also released a full spectrum of hydrogen energy products for sea, land, and air applications, becoming the first hydrogen energy enterprise in the industry to achieve a "closed-loop production-storage-transportation-utilization chain plus full-scenario deployment on land, sea, and air," accelerating the large-scale application of hydrogen energy across all scenarios.