China's first hydrogen-electric tugboat, "Hydrogen-Electric Tug 1", was put into operation at Qingdao Port, with CATL empowering a new benchmark for zero-carbon ports

Recently, Qingdao Port of Shandong Port Group welcomed the official commissioning of China's first hydrogen-electric tugboat, "Hydrogen Electric Tug 1", with a spectacular water arch ceremony. This port tugboat, deeply involved in and built by CATL, features a hybrid system of "hydrogen fuel cell + liquid-cooled lithium battery" as its core, setting two domestic records: the highest horsepower (5200kW) and the highest lithium battery capacity (7838.88kWh). This marks a new stage in the green transformation of China's port equipment towards hydrogen energy application.

As a "little giant on the sea" for port operations, "Hydrogen Electric Tug 1" can tow cargo ships of over 200,000 mt to complete core tasks such as berthing and unberthing, and heading adjustment. Its CATL-built marine power system not only achieves the highest domestic energy density of 140Wh/kg but also ensures safe operation under complex working conditions through NP (no thermal propagation) technology and millisecond-level liquid cooling management. Data shows that the tugboat can operate for over 12 hours at a speed of 9 knots, with a maximum towing force of 82 mt, fully meeting the all-weather operational needs of the port. Compared to traditional fuel-powered tugboats, it reduces noise by 30%, extends equipment life by 40%, and can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by over 1,500 tons annually, equivalent to the annual carbon sequestration capacity of 3,000 mu of forest.

This delivery marks another milestone for CATL's marine zero-carbon solutions. From the "Greater Bay Area No. 1" hybrid oil-electric cruise ship to the "Three Gorges No. 1" pure electric passenger ship, CATL has built a matrix covering inland rivers and coastal waters for ship electrification. On "Hydrogen Electric Tug 1", it has achieved deep synergy between hydrogen energy and lithium batteries for the first time: hydrogen production from off-peak electricity for storage, and hydrogen-electric complementarity during operations, addressing the issue of peak-to-valley electricity differences at ports and building a closed-loop ecosystem of "green electricity - green hydrogen - green energy". The head of Qingdao Port's tug and barge company stated that the commissioning of this tugboat has overcome three technical bottlenecks in hydrogen-powered ships regarding driving range, safety, and efficiency, providing a replicable "Chinese model" for the global port and shipping industry.

With the commissioning of "Hydrogen Electric Tug 1", Qingdao Port is accelerating the construction of a full-scenario green ecosystem: in the first half of 2025, the joint debugging and testing of 10 hydrogen-powered rail-mounted gantry cranes and a 300kW hydrogen fuel cell will commence, shore power connection will exceed 10 million kWh, and the biofuel oil bunkering business for international voyaging ships will be launched. As the head of CATL's marine business said, "Ports are major carbon emitters in the global supply chain. We not only provide power but also aim to build a zero-carbon ecosystem that coordinates 'ship - port - electricity'.""In the future, both parties plan to take Qingdao Port as the starting point to promote the hydrogen-electric tugboat model to pivotal ports in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the Yangtze River Delta, and other regions, contributing to the global goal of low-carbon transformation of ports by 2030.

The launch of this "zero-carbon tugboat" is not only a green declaration for Qingdao Port to build itself into an "international shipping hub in north-east Asia", but also marks China's transition from a technology follower to a standard setter in the field of port and shipping equipment. As the 82 mt tug force stirs up the waves in Jiaozhou Bay, a wave of energy revolution in ports has quietly spread across the globe.