Switch Maritime has revealed that the US Coast Guard has given the green light for the first hydrogen passenger ferry in the US to enter commercial service. The Sea Change is expected to start full operations later this year.
Switch Maritime was founded in 2018, with construction of the Sea Change hydrogen fuel cell passenger ferry starting the following year at an Alamada shipyard. It was later transferred to Bellingham, Washington, for completion, sea trials from 2021 and official launch in August 2023.
The 70-ft catamaran comes equipped with 360-kW Cummins fuel cells, 242-kg hydrogen storage tanks at 250 bar from Hexagon Purus and 600-kW electric propulsion from BAE that includes 100-kWh XALT Li-ion batteries – forming a system supplied by Zero Emission Industries. West Coast Clean Fuels inked a deal in 2021 to supply around 50,000 kg of green hydrogen to the Sea Change per year.
It's designed to travel distances of up to 300 nautical miles (345 miles/555 km) before needing a fill up, accommodate up to 75 passengers per trip and get up to speeds of 15 knots (17.3 mph/27.8 km/h).
The US Coast Guard has now handed over a Certificate of Inspection, which allows the vessel to enter commercial service as a passenger ferry. The Sea Change is due to start a 6-month pilot in the California Bay Area from June, after which the company will secure a more permanent route for the ferry service.
Switch raised US$10 million in Series A funding late last year to support its mission to replace the "carbon-intensive, diesel-powered fleets" of private and municipal ferry operators with zero emission alternatives. Plans for 150-, 350- and 450-passenger fuel-cell vessels are already in the pipe for future construction.
Source: Switch Maritime
