A view of the "Three Gorges Hydrogen Boat No. 1" (Photo/Screenshot from Hubei Daily)

China's first hydrogen-powered ship made its maiden voyage in Yichang, Central China's Hubei Province on Wednesday, marking that the country has made breakthrough in the application of hydrogen fuel cell technology in inland waterway vessels.

Named "Three Gorges Hydrogen Boat No. 1," the vessel has a maximum range of 124 kilometers, powered by a 500 kW hydrogen fuel cell. After delivery, it is used for transportation, inspection and emergency response in the Three Gorges reservoir area and between the Three Gorges-Gezhouba dams.

Compared with traditional fuel-powered ships, the ship is expected to replace 103.16 tons of fuel oil and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 343.67 tons per year.

China has accelerated the pace to achieve its dual carbon goals.

Last year, the world's purely battery-powered vessel with the largest battery capacity named "Yangtze Three Gorges 1," made its maiden voyage in the same region. It is powered purely by electricity featuring the largest battery capacity and the highest computer processing power around the world.

Over the past year, the cruise ship has received more than 130,000 tourists, with a total electricity consumption of more than 900,000 kilowatt hours, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by more than 700 tons.