The first hydrogen-powered commercial ferry under construction. Golden Gate Zero Emission Marine / Switch Maritime An artist's rendering of the hydrogen fuel cell ferry in front of the Golden Gate Bridge. Golden Gate Zero Emission Marine / Switch Maritime
On Wednesday, a plan to put hydrogen fuel cell-powered ferries in US waters moved forward as startup Golden Gate Zero Emission Marine (GGZEM) announced a partnership with Switch Maritime, an impact investment fund that will finance and operate a fleet of such vessels.
GGZEM received a $3 million grant from the California Air Resources Board (CARB) last November to build a 70-foot, 84-passenger, hydrogen fuel cell-powered boat. Named the Water-Go-Round, the vessel will be used to take passengers across the San Francisco Bay. The ferry, which is currently under construction in Alameda, California, is expected to be complete in September. After its completion, it will undergo three months of testing so researchers can gather data on its performance.
Switch Maritime (sometimes styled SW/TCH) is the new operator of the ferry, and it hopes to decarbonize water transport throughout the United States. The company recently announced another project in New York City to build a battery-powered ferry, which will be completed after the Water-Go-Round's debut. Switch says it "plans to work with existing ferry operators on both coasts to provide capital to accelerate the adoption of zero-emission modes of transit," according to a press release.
A different fuel problem
While building a hydrogen-powered ferry is a start, the real trouble with hydrogen fuel cells is the fuel. GGZEM, the company that's building the boat, grew out of an academic project from Sandia Laboratories. Sandia's researchers found that hydrogen-powered vessels offered a number of benefits over their diesel-powered counterparts. Unfortunately, one of those benefits was not overall emissions reduction when conventiRead More – Source
[contf] [contfnew] 
Ars Technica
[contfnewc] [contfnewc]
