This year, visitors to San Francisco can travel between two popular seaside destinations on a free ferry powered by hydrogen.
The ship is equipped with fuel cells. They convert hydrogen and oxygen into electricity (to power the ship) and water that passengers can drink.
Murphy: “It was fun to see them lining up in front of the fountain to experience it themselves.”
Seamus Murphy of the San Francisco Bay Ferry System said most ferries in the United States are powered by climate-polluting diesel.
Battery-electric ferries offer a cleaner option — his agency has committed to buying five.
Murphy: “But when it comes to longer routes, battery electric technology has not advanced to the point where these batteries are light enough to be able to reach the speeds that our ships need to travel for long periods of time.”
Hydrogen fuel cell technology can meet this need.
It's not as climate-friendly as Murphy would like. Currently, most hydrogen is produced using fossil fuels, and so-called “green hydrogen” made from clean energy sources is difficult to obtain.
But Murphy expects the supply chain to grow if demand increases. So he hopes the new ferry will get people excited about hydrogen's potential.
Report source: Sarah Kennedy/ChavoBart Digital Media
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