VLADIVOSTOK - Russian IT company Sitronics Group has tested the first prototype of an electric boat powered by hydrogen fuel cells on the Neva River, local media reported on Monday.

Sitronics announced that it has successfully tested a boat equipped with an electrochemical generator (ECG) that converts hydrogen into electricity.

Hydrogen, the most eco-friendly and promising type of fuel, can extend the range of electric boats, making them suitable for traveling long distances, said Sitronics Group

The company highlighted that the boat is the first of its kind in Russia.

Hydrogen, the most eco-friendly and promising type of fuel, can extend the range of electric boats, making them suitable for traveling long distances, said the company, adding such a technology can be applied to both cruise and cargo ships.

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On hydrogen fuel, a small passenger electric boat can run for up to 20 hours without additional refueling, it said.