A 500 kW hydrogen fuel cell-powered vessel: From concept to sailing

This paper presents the “Three Gorges Hydrogen Boat No. 1”, a novel green hydrogen-powered vessel that has been successfully delivered and is currently sailing. This vessel, integrated with a hydrogen production and bunkering station at its dedicated dock, achieves zero-carbon emissions. It stores 240 kg of 35 MPa gaseous hydrogen and has a fuel cell system rated at 500 kW. We analysed the engineering details of the marine hydrogen system, including hydrogen bunkering, storage, supply, fuel cell, and the hybrid power system with lithium-ion batteries. In the first bunkering trial, the vessel was safely refuelled with 200 kg of gaseous hydrogen in 156 min via a bunkering station 13 m above the water surface. The maximum hydrogen pressure and temperature recorded during bunkering were 35.05 MPa and 39.04 °C, respectively, demonstrating safe and reliable shore-to-ship bunkering. For the sea trial, the marine hydrogen system operated successfully during a 3-h voyage, achieving a maximum speed of 28.15 km/h (15.2 knots) at rated propulsion power. The vessel exhibited minimal noise and vibration, and its dynamic response met load change requirements. To prevent rapid load changes to the fuel cells, 68 s were used to reach 483 kW from startup, and 62 s from 480 kW to zero. The successful bunkering and operation of this hydrogen-powered vessel demonstrates the feasibility of zero-carbon emission maritime transport. However, four lessons were identified concerning bunkering speed, hydrogen cylinder leakage, hydrogen pressure regulator malfunctions, and fuel cell room space. The novelty of this work lies in the practical demonstration of a fully operational, hydrogen-powered maritime vessel achieving zero emissions, encompassing its design, building, operation, and lessons learned. These parameters and findings can be used as a baseline for further engineering research.