SWITCH Maritime’s Sea Change ferry set to enter service
Written by Nick Blenkey
Captain Taylor Q. Lam presents Pace Ralli, CEO of SWITCH Maritime, with signed Certificate of Inspection [Photo: SWITCH Maritime]
For those of us who have been following the project from its earliest days, this has been a long-awaited development: SWITCH Maritime’s hydrogen fuel cell powered ferry the Sea Change has now received its U.S. Coast Guard Certificate of Inspection (COI). With the COI, the vessel is now able to commence commercial operations, delivering a zero-emission public ferry service.
Following a formal launch event in June, the Sea Change will be operated in a six-month pilot service by the San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA) operator of the SF Bay Ferry, backed by a public-private sponsorship that includes: United; the Golden State Warriors; California Air Resources Board; Golden Gate Bridge, Highway, and Transportation District; and Blue & Gold Fleet.
After the initial demonstration period, SWITCH will put the vessel into a more permanent ferry route. Alongside the Sea Change, SWITCH is actively advancing new designs for larger and faster ferries for San Francisco Bay, and other major ferry markets in the U.S. and internationally.
As regular Marine Log readers will know, the Sea Change uses hydrogen fuel cells to power all-electric motors for transit distances up to 300 nautical miles and speeds up to 15 knots. The technology provides similar operational capabilities and ranges to diesel-powered vessels, and eliminates the need for shoreside charging infrastructure required by battery-only vessels.
NOT THE FINISH LINE, BUT A STARTING POINT
SWITCH was presented with the signed COI by Captain Taylor Q. Lam, U.S. Coast Guard Sector San Francisco commander and Captain of the Port, in a ceremony held last Friday afternoon on the bow of the vessel.
“This COI represents the culmination of years of close collaboration with the U.S. Coast Guard and a significant milestone for the maritime industry, demonstrating the viability of carbon-neutral vessels. We are immensely grateful for the support from the U.S. Coast Guard and all our partners along the path to completion,” said Pace Ralli, CEO of SWITCH. “This is not the finish line, but just a starting point from which to build many more.”
SWITCH aims to accelerate the adoption of net-zero vessels by bearing the regulatory and construction risks for the operators, and offering existing operators the ability to lease the new vessels after completion. It says this is a form of the “hardware-as-a-service” model that is increasingly being utilized to accelerate the energy transition of hard to abate industrial sectors. The SWITCH solutions are flexible and tailored for vessel operators needing to comply with emissions regulations, providing a streamlined path to achieving a carbon-neutral fleet over time.
ABOUT THE SEA CHANGE PROJECT
Built and launched at the All American Marine shipyard in Bellingham, Wash., the Sea Change is a 75-passenger catamaran ferry featuring an integrated hydrogen power system from Zero Emission Industries , with 360 kW of fuel cells from Cummins and 600 kW of electric motor propulsion from BAE Systems.
The project has been partially funded by a $3 million grant from the California Air Resources Board (CARB), administered by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD).That funding comes from the California Climate Investments initiative, a statewide program that puts billions of cap-and-trade dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the economy, and improving public health and the environment—particularly in disadvantaged communities.
Additionally, the project received the first-ever loan guarantee under BAAQMD’s Climate Tech Finance program, which seeks to reduce greenhouse gases by accelerating emerging climate technologies, in partnership with the California Infrastructure Economic Development Bank and the Northern California Financial Development Corporation (NorCal FDC). With this loan guarantee, SWITCH secured a $5 million commercial financing from KeyBank, and later raised equity funds from Nexus Development Capital to bring the project to completion.
