Most ferries in the United States run on diesel fuel, with groaning engines that spew harmful emissions into waterfront communities. But in San Francisco, passengers on the city’s newest vessel will find the trip to be much quieter and cleaner as they zip around the bay. Recently, a hydrogen-powered ferry called Sea Change officially launched after more than six years in development. The vessel is the first commercial passenger ferry in the world to run entirely on hydrogen fuel cells — a technology that doesn’t directly emit carbon dioxide or toxic air pollution, just a little heat and water vapor. Sea Change is owned by the startup Switch Maritime and was developed with support from a $3 million grant from the California Air Resources Board.
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