Hydrogen-Powered Ferry To Launch In San Francisco Bay

San Francisco will soon have a fossil fuel-free ferry floating in the bay, reports Reuters. The 70-foot, 75-passenger ferry named Sea Change will service several stops along San Francisco's waterfront and officials hope it promotes change on the high seas.

The hydrogen-fueled ferry was built at All American Marine shipyard in Bellingham, Washington, and underwent tests with the U.S. Coast Guard in Puget Sound. “We’re here in the water, under hydrogen fuel cell power and it’s the first commercial vessel in the world that’s got that propulsion system,” said Pace Ralli, chief executive of Switch Maritime.

Advocates say hydrogen fuel cells are cleaner than other methods as they only emit water and heat. However, the high cost and "bulky fuel cell systems" mean that there is limited use of the technology.

According to Reuters, Ralli came up with the idea for a fuel cell-powered ferry while living in New York City and trying to find ways to decarbonize the maritime industry. “There was a project in California that was being sponsored by the California Air Resources Board, and they were working on hydrogen fuel cell as a method for decarbonizing ships, so we joined up with them and funded their project in 2019,” said Ralli.

If all goes well, the boat will be delivered to the Bay Area in late May and start serving passengers in June.