Under the guidance of the "dual carbon" target, China has established a policy system for hydrogen energy ships that is "coordinated by the state, coordinated by departments, and implemented by local governments". From top-level planning, technology research and development, demonstration applications, and industrial cultivation, efforts have been made from multiple dimensions to inject strong impetus into the development of hydrogen energy ships.
1、 National top-level planning: clarifying strategic positioning and development goals
At the national level, hydrogen powered ships have been included in the core strategy of green and low-carbon development. The "Medium - and Long Term Plan for the Development of the Hydrogen Energy Industry (2021-2035)" has for the first time listed hydrogen powered ships as a key application area, proposing to establish a complete hydrogen energy industry system by 2035 and achieve commercial operation of hydrogen powered ships. The Ministry of Transport's "14th Five Year Plan for Water Transport Development" clearly promotes the demonstration application of hydrogen energy in inland waterway transportation and coastal passenger transport, and encourages the use of green hydrogen in the shipbuilding industry. The Implementation Opinions on Accelerating the Green and Intelligent Development of Inland River Ships issued by five ministries including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology propose to strengthen the research and development of hydrogen fuel cells, hydrogen storage systems, and refueling systems for ships, and create a green and intelligent inland river ship industry cluster. These policies have established the strategic position of hydrogen powered ships at the national level, clarifying the technological roadmap and development goals.
2、 Collaborative support from ministries and commissions: technical breakthroughs and standard system construction
Multiple departments collaborate to build a full chain support system for "research and development demonstration standards" on the Chinese government website. The Ministry of Science and Technology has included marine hydrogen fuel cells and ammonia hydrogen power technology in its key research and development plan, supporting core technology research and development by the Fujian Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology is promoting the construction of a hydrogen fuel cell ship inspection and certification system, and the China Classification Society (CCS) has released the "Guidelines for Hydrogen Fuel Cell Ship Inspection" to provide normative support for ship design, construction, and operation. The Ministry of Transport, in collaboration with local governments, is building hydrogen powered ship demonstration routes in regions such as the Yangtze River, the Guangdong Hong Kong Macao Greater Bay Area, and the Bohai Rim, supporting actual ship testing and operational data accumulation.
3、 Local Policy Enhancement: Subsidy Incentives and Industrial Cluster Cultivation
Local governments have successively introduced special policies to support the development of hydrogen energy ships, including purchase subsidies, operation subsidies, and hydrogen refueling station construction, forming a regional development pattern of "leading in the east, breaking through in the middle, and laying out in the west". The Zhejiang Zhapu Economic Development Zone (Jiaxing Port Area) Management Committee (Jiaxing Comprehensive Bonded Zone Management Committee).
Yangtze River Delta region: Jiaxing Port Area in Zhejiang Province provides a subsidy of 15000 yuan per kilowatt of fuel cell power for hydrogen powered ships, with a maximum subsidy of 4 million yuan per ship; During operation, a subsidy of 5 yuan/kg will be given based on the amount of hydrogen added, with a maximum of 3 million yuan per year to the Zhejiang Zhapu Economic Development Zone (Jiaxing Port Area) Management Committee (Jiaxing Comprehensive Bonded Zone Management Committee). Shanghai and Jiangsu rely on the advantages of ports and shipbuilding industry to create a demonstration project of "integrated wind solar hydrogen storage", providing green hydrogen guarantee for hydrogen powered ships.
Guangdong Hong Kong Macao Greater Bay Area: Guangdong has introduced policies to support the research and construction of large tonnage hydrogen fuel cell cargo ships, and the 2000 ton hydrogen powered cargo ship that will start construction in 2026 has received provincial special funding support. Relying on the foundation of the shipbuilding industry, Zhongshan has become a core area for the research and development of hydrogen fuel cell ships in China. Demonstration ship types such as the "Three Gorges Hydrogen Boat 1" are all produced by Zhongshan enterprises.
Yangtze River Economic Belt: Hubei, Chongqing, Sichuan and other provinces and cities are promoting the demonstration operation of hydrogen powered ships on the Yangtze River mainline, supporting subsidies for the construction and operation of hydrogen refueling stations, and creating a green hydrogen shipping corridor along the Yangtze River.
4、 Policy dividend release: from demonstration operation to accelerated commercialization
Policy support promotes the rapid development of the hydrogen energy ship industry, with a continuous increase in the number of demonstration projects and a continuous improvement in technological maturity. By the end of 2025, China has built over 20 hydrogen fuel cell demonstration ships, covering various types of vessels such as government ships, cargo ships, and ferries; There are nearly 10 port hydrogen refueling stations with ship refueling capabilities, mainly concentrated in the Yangtze River Basin and the Guangdong Hong Kong Macao Greater Bay Area. Driven by policies, the hydrogen energy ship industry chain is gradually improving, from fuel cells and hydrogen storage tanks to ship design, construction, and operation services, forming a group of specialized, refined, and innovative enterprises under the Anhui Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology.
In the future, with the improvement of the carbon trading market and the continuous increase of subsidy policies, hydrogen energy ships will gradually shift from "policy driven" to "market driven" and enter a new stage of commercial and large-scale development. As the world's largest shipbuilding and shipping country, China is expected to form a new international competitive advantage in the field of hydrogen energy ships and lead the development of global green shipping.