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
-
Inside Exxon's Gas Strike, EPA Smackdown, and Carbon Curveball
Inside This Issue 🛢️ Exxon's Gas Strike, EPA Smackdown, and Carbon Curveball 🏭 MHI Awarded Contract for Basic Design of Japan's Largest CO₂ Capture Plant at Hokkaido Electric Power's Tomato-Atsuma...
-
North America’s Next Carbon Capture Frontier Might Surprise You
Inside This Issue 🌊 The Quiet Rise of Offshore CO2 Storage: North America's Emerging Frontier for Carbon Capture 🍁 Canada Invests in Carbon Capture and Storage in Alberta 🛰️ Vortex Energy Finalize...
-
Who’s Rising While Washington Retreats? (BECCS, DAC, H2)
Inside This Issue ⚖️ CDR at a Crossroads: Is Private Sector Innovation Enough to Offset Washington's Wobble? 🌱 Exomad Green’s Biochar Field Study Reveals Significant Crop Yield Improvements In Bol...
Company Announcements
-
Paris, France - Natural State Renewables, a future leader in carbon-negative sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production, is thrilled to announce its strategic partnership with Axens, a global leade...
-
Energy Startup Arbor Notches $41M Deals Amid Trump Reversals
Arbor, a startup that promises both CO2 removal and clean baseload power, just announced $41 million in offtake deals as it courts hyperscalers' growing energy needs. Why it matters: The contracts...
-
Microsoft Buys 2.95m Tons of Carbon Removal Credits From CCS Project in Denmark
Credits generated by project Gaia, an EfW joint venture between CIP and Vestforbrænding Microsoft has signed a carbon removal agreement with Gaia, a joint venture between Copenhagen Infrastructure...
-
Milan - Tulum Energy, a pioneering methane pyrolysis startup, has successfully closed a $27 million venture financing round. This significant investment, led by CDP Venture Capital, through its Gre...