SWITCH Maritime To Build First RoPax Ferry In The U.S Driven By Liquid Hydrogen

The maritime Industry is moving towards reducing carbon emissions with companies building more sustainable ships.

One recent development in this regard involves SWITCH Maritime, which is collaborating with LMG Marin and LH2 Shipping to construct the first RoPax ferry in the U.S. powered by liquid hydrogen. This ferry will emit only H20 vapour with zero carbon emissions.

The first hydrogen-fueled ship of SWITCH Maritime was the Sea Change. It was a catamaran, with a capacity for 75 passengers.

It had a 600 kW electric motor propulsion system, which was powered by 360 kW of fuel cells with 246 kg of gaseous H2 storage. Sea Change began operating as a part of the San Francisco Bay Ferry System in July.

Pace Ralli, Founder & CEO of SWITCH, said that the company is set to pioneer 0 carbon LH2 fueling for heavy, higher-horsepower workboats.

The company seeks to build a ship using designs from LMG Marin. The design for the RoPax vehicle ferry, which will accommodate 80 cars and 300 passengers, has been classed by DNV and is already being operated by Norled successfully.

Called MF Hydra, the ferry is able to cover a 6 nm round-trip with liquid hydrogen. It has a 4-tonne tank for storing liquid hydrogen on its top deck, which receives the fuel from a truck through a bunkering system. The ferry has received the fuel around 50 times since it began operating in 2023.

The ferry being built in the U.S. will have a speed of 14 knots and require fueling just once a week with no need for electric charging on ports.

Though the design will be altered per USCG requirements, SWITCH said that the massive steel hull makes it more spacious and offers advantages in terms of weight compared to ferries with aluminium hulls.

The liquid hydrogen from the storage tanks is vaporised and used in the PEM fuel cells to generate electricity for its motors.

SWITCH is also building a catamaran for the San Francisco Bay Ferry Service using the gaseous hydrogen storage system and fuel cells. For larger vessels accommodating 300 and more people, the company plans to shift from gaseous to cryogenic liquid hydrogen storage.

The company states that compressed gaseous H2 is viable for small to medium-sized ships, but as the size and energy demands increase, cryogenic LH2 is the preferred storage solution. Cryogenic LH2 supports fast refuelling speeds for greater volumes.

References: Offshore Energy, Galvnews