MarAd funds study of hydrogen fuel cell-powered ferry

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration is providing $500,000 to Sandia National Lab for the study of a high-speed hydrogen fuel cell vessel as a clean energy alternative.    The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration will provide $500,000 to support a feasibility study for the design, construction, and operation of a high-speed passenger ferry powered by hydrogen fuel cell technology and a hydrogen refueling station
   The fuel cell would provide power for the ferry’s propulsion and auxiliary electrical systems, while the hydrogen refueling station – which would be the largest in the world – would service the ferry, electric cars, buses and fleet vehicles, and other maritime vessels powered by fuel cells.
   “This study is just one more way in which MARAD is working to find new and efficient technologies for use in the maritime industry that offer clean-fuel options to cut emissions,” said Maritime Administrator Paul ‘Chip’ Jaenichen.
   MarAd has partnered on this project with Sandia National Laboratories of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), which will lead the research effort. The study will examine the technical, regulatory, and economic aspects of a high-speed hydrogen fuel cell vessel as a clean energy alternative.