The world’s first hydrogen-powered commercial passenger ferry is set to commence operations on San Francisco Bay, marking a significant step in the effort to phase out diesel-powered vessels and reduce COx emissions.
California officials showcased the vessel, the 70-foot (21-meter) catamaran MV Sea Change (MMSI 368227810), on Friday, July 12th.
Starting July 19th, the ferryboat will transport up to 75 passengers along the waterfront route between Pier 41 and downtown San Francisco's ferry terminal. This service will be offered free of charge for 6 months as part of a pilot program.
Jim Wunderman, chair of the San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA), which oversees the bay's commuter ferries, highlighted the vessel's potential impact, stating that the implications for this are huge because this isn’t its last stop. He said if they can operate this successfully, there are going to be more of these vessels in their fleet and in other fleets across the United States and the world.
MV Sea Change is capable of traveling ~300 NM (~555 km) and can operate for 16 hours before requiring refueling. The ferry's fuel cells generate electricity through an electrochemical reaction between oxygen and hydrogen, emitting only water as a byproduct.
Officials said the technology could help clean up the shipping industry, which produces ~3% of the world’s total greenhouse gas emissions.