A Sunwise project wins the 21st China Civil Engineering Zhan Tianyou Award

The 21st China Civil Engineering Zhan Tianyou Awards, a leading national recognition for scientific and technological innovation in civil engineering, were recently presented in Chengdu, Sichuan. One hundred projects from across China were selected. Among them was the Inland Wharf Integrated Renewable Electricity-to-Hydrogen Production and Refueling Demonstration Project, also known as the China Yangtze Power Green Electricity and Green Hydrogen Demonstration Station, jointly submitted by China Yangtze Power, Shanghai Energy Construction and other organizations.

Located at Yangjiawan Wharf in Yichang, downstream from the Three Gorges Project, the station demonstrates integrated hydrogen production and refueling for both inland waterway and land transport. Sunwise participated in the design and construction of the refueling facilities. Hydropower from the Three Gorges produces green hydrogen, which is compressed, stored and dispensed as clean fuel for inland vessels. By integrating hydrogen production, storage, refueling and use, the project addresses a gap in China's application of hydrogen to shipping.

The station supplies Three Gorges Hydrogen Boat No. 1, a Chinese hydrogen fuel cell vessel. To address the large refueling volumes, long refueling periods and changing ship-to-shore distances caused by water levels and wind, the Sunwise team compared several technical approaches and selected a folding mechanical arm that guides a high-pressure hose. The system delivers up to 240 kg of hydrogen per hour, supporting a vessel range of 200 km and enabling safe, precise and rapid refueling.

Once operational, the project can produce 1.66 million cubic metres of green hydrogen annually, replacing approximately 1,000 tonnes of vehicle and marine fuel and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by about 2,700 tonnes per year. Wider deployment across China's inland waterways, lakes and ports is expected to generate more than RMB 10 billion in related economic benefits and reduce annual carbon emissions by more than 1.1 million tonnes, supporting the low-carbon transition of inland shipping.

The award encourages Sunwise to continue strengthening its technical expertise and engineering innovation in hydrogen infrastructure. The company will continue to develop hydrogen equipment and refueling stations, using technological innovation to support the transition to a cleaner, low-carbon energy system.

Established in 2004, Shanghai Sunwise Energy Systems Co., Ltd. is a National High-tech Enterprise and a national specialized and innovative Little Giant enterprise focused on integrated hydrogen systems, key equipment and hydrogen supply ecosystems. Its core expertise in high-pressure hydrogen handling supports hydrogen energy, nuclear power and distributed energy applications. It is also expanding into hydrogen production using surplus wind and solar electricity. Over more than twenty years in station construction and operation, Sunwise has completed or is building nearly one hundred refueling stations. It has supported major demonstration programs including the Olympic Games, Shanghai World Expo, Guangzhou Asian Games and Hangzhou Asian Games, and led or contributed to 44 hydrogen-related standards. Its project 'Research and Application of Key Technologies for High-pressure Hydrogen Refueling and Storage' received second prize in the 2025 Shanghai Science and Technology Progress Awards.

Written by Cai Lili, Strategic Cooperation and Marketing Department.

English edition of the original Chinese page. Historical statements, dates and figures are retained as published.