World’s First Hydrogen-powered Commercial Ferry to Run on San Francisco Bay, and It’s Free to Ride
Published by Todd Bush on July 15, 2024
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The world’s first hydrogen-powered commercial passenger ferry will start operating on San Francisco Bay as part of plans to phase out diesel-powered vessels and reduce planet-warming carbon emissions, California officials said Friday, demonstrating the ship.
>> In Other News: Researchers Move Closer to Green Hydrogen via Water Electrolysis
The 70-foot (21-meter) catamaran called the MV Sea Change will transport up to 75 passengers along the waterfront between Pier 41 and the downtown San Francisco ferry terminal starting July 19, officials said. The service will be free for six months while it’s being run 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, which runs commuter ferries across the bay. “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.”
Sea Change can travel about 300 nautical miles and operate for 16 hours before it needs to refuel. The fuel cells produce electricity by combining oxygen and hydrogen in an electrochemical reaction that emits water as a byproduct.
Subscribe to the newsletter
Daily decarbonization data and news delivered to your inbox
Follow the money flow of climate, technology, and energy investments to uncover new opportunities and jobs.
Latest issues
-
From Mars to AI: Fuel Cells Power $28B Boom
Inside This Issue 🧠 From Mars to AI: Fuel Cells Power $28B Boom 🏆 Svante Technologies Wins Global Award for Breakthrough Carbon Capture Innovation 🚧 California Resources Corporation Breaks Ground ...
-
$6.5 Trillion Up for Grabs — Who Gets It?
Inside This Issue 💰 Where the $6.5 Trillion Goes: Carbon Tech Fights for Funding 🔋 Douglas PUD Commission Cuts Ribbon At Renewable Hydrogen Production Facility 🍁 Quinbrook Acquires First Canadian ...
-
DOE Cuts or Global Catalyst? What’s Really Shifting
Inside This Issue 🌎 Are U.S. Setbacks Fueling a Global Push for Decarbonization? 🛢️ “Grand Bargain” Would Result In More Oils ands Emissions, Not Less 🤝 MOU Signed With JGC Group 🧪 IonQ Quantum Co...
Company Announcements
-
Sustainable Jet Fuel Developer Moves Priority From SD to ND Amid Summit Pipeline Delays
Gevo Inc. Plans Sustainable Aviation Fuel Shift From South Dakota To North Dakota Amid Summit Carbon Pipeline Delays Gevo Inc., a Colorado-based developer of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), annou...
-
CapturePoint’s CENLA Hub Project Advances On Louisiana’s Short List For Carbon Storage Permitting
CapturePoint Solutions LLC’s CENLA Hub Project Advances On Louisiana Department of Conservation and Energy (C&E) Short List For Carbon Storage Permitting ALLEN, Texas, Oct. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEW...
-
Pacific Harbor Line Expands Sustainability Efforts With Remora Partnership
Anacostia Rail Holdings (ARH) is pleased to announce that its Pacific Harbor Line (PHL) subsidiary has entered into a development agreement with Remora, a Michigan-based climate technology startup ...
-
CATACARB® Wins Carbon Remover Award At Carbon Capture Canada 2025
CATACARB is proud to announce it has been awarded the Carbon Remover Award at Carbon Capture Canada (Canada's National Carbon Capture and Storage Event) held in Edmonton. The Carbon Remover Award r...