China Three Gorges Corporation said on Monday that the country's first 500kW hydrogen-powered ship hit water in Zhongshan, Guangdong Province on the same day.

The ship, Three Gorges Hydrogen Boat 1, adopts hydrogen fuel cell and lithium battery power system, will be used for transportation, inspection and emergency work in the Three Gorges reservoir area.

With a rated output power of500 kW, the ship boasts the maximum speed of  28km/h, and a 200 km cruising range. It is highly environment-friendly and comfortable, with low energy consumption and noise.

“This ship has obtained the formal product certification of China Classification Society (CCS), and it has the largest power and energy storage in the world's official ships,” said Wang Zhen from the 712th Research Institute of China State Shipbuilding Corporation.

Experts predicted that in the next few years, the number of renovated and newly-built ships powered by hydrogen fuel cells would increase rapidly in China and the market scale would reach tens of billions yuan.