Unlike current diesel-powered ferries that emit pollutants, the hydrogen-powered Sea Change produces only heat and water vapor as byproducts.
The world’s first commercial passenger ferry powered by 100% hydrogen fuel, the MV Sea Change, was launched on Friday at the San Francisco Ferry Building. The 70-foot catamaran can transport up to 75 passengers along the waterfront between Pier 41 and the downtown San Francisco ferry terminal starting July 19.
Unlike current diesel-powered ferries that emit pollutants, the hydrogen-powered Sea Change produces only heat and water vapor as byproducts. Passengers can even drink the emissions from an onboard water fountain. The service will be free for six months as part of a pilot program.
“The implications for this are huge because this isn’t its last stop,” said Jim Wunderman, chair of the San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority. “If we can operate this successfully, there are going to be more of these vessels in our fleet and in other folks’ fleets in the United States and we think in the world.”
The Sea Change can travel about 300 nautical miles and operate for 16 hours before needing to refuel. The hydrogen fuel cells produce electricity by combining oxygen and hydrogen in an electrochemical reaction.
The project was financed and managed by SWITCH Maritime, with the vessel constructed at Bay Ship and Yacht in Alameda, California, and All-American Marine in Bellingham, Washington. Officials hope the technology can help clean up the shipping industry, which produces nearly 3% of the world’s total greenhouse gas emissions.
“The real value of this is when you multiply out by the number of ferries operating around the world,” said Frank Wolak, president and CEO of the Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy Association. “There’s great potential here. This is how you can start chipping away at the carbon intensity of your ports.”
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