California Air Resources Board

Advanced Technology Demonstration and Pilot Projects

Bay Area Air Quality Management District

May 25, 2018 – December 31, 2023

Project Details:

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District, in partnership SWITCH Maritime, was awarded a $3 million grant by the California Air Resources Board to build the first hydrogen fuel cell passenger ferry in the United States. The vessel, named the Sea Change will demonstrate a pathway to commercialization for zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell marine technologies. Applications of this technology go beyond passenger ferry service, including industrial freight transportation, government operations, marine research, and more. In Spring 2023, the Sea Change is planned to perform demonstrations of passenger service in the San Francisco Bay.

The Sea Change is a first-of-its-kind vessel, the development of which relies on commercial, finance and project management of SWITCH Maritime, the innovative vision of Zero Emission Industries and careful coordination between project partners, who are leaders in their fields. Project milestones were carefully developed to monitor the project schedule and to identify potential problems as early as possible. Key milestones include: Design of vessel and powertrain, including hydrogen storage and fueling procedures; procurement of powertrain hardware and fuel cells; ferry build and sea trials; demonstration of vessel operations and fueling; data collection and analysis; and commercialization feasibility assessment.

Grantee:

Bay Area Air Quality Management District

Partners:

SWITCH Maritime, Zero Emission Industries, BAE Systems, Cummins, Port of San Francisco and Sandia National Laboratories.

Grant Amount

Vehicles/Equipment Funded

The Sea Change is a 70-foot aluminum catamaran, designed by Incat Crowther, and will have a top speed of 15-knots and a capacity to transport up to 75 passengers. The vessel started construction in Alameda, CA at the Bay Ship & Yacht shipyard, and was completed at All American Marine shipyard in Bellingham, WA. The fuel cell electric propulsion system was provided by BAE Systems and will be powered by three independent 120 kW fuel cells built by Cummins Inc. The Sea Change will have enough on-board hydrogen storage capacity for up to two days of normal operation. Zero Emission Industries is provided technical management and expertise for the hydrogen systems, and Sandia National Laboratories will analyze data collected from the initial demonstration operations.

Lessons Learned

• Building adequate room into the timeline and budget to allow for adjustments may help address unforeseen issues.
• Having partners with industry specific expertise as well as those with knowledge in advanced fuel technologies is critical in successfully building a product the meets industry needs.
• A project’s success is contingent on each of the project partners’ ability to follow-through on their initial commitment.

Status Updates

• The H2 powertrain system has successfully powered the vessel through sea trials for US Coast Guard permitting.
• The vessel has been completed and delivered to SF Bay Ferry, and will commence operations to begin in mid-2023.
• The project has positively influenced commercialization efforts of zero emission marine technologies around the world.

Additional Resources

• Final Project Report (PDF)