SWITCH Maritime

SWITCH Maritime is a US-based company that aims to reduce carbon emissions from ferry operations by replacing traditional diesel-powered fleets with zero-emission vessels. The company successfully launched Sea Change, the world's first commercial hydrogen fuel cell vessel, in San Francisco Bay in 2021.

The 70-foot, 75-passenger vessel has an electric propulsion system consisting of two 300 kW electric motors, powered by 360 kW of PEM fuel cells and 100 kWh of lithium-ion batteries. The vessel can also store 240 kg of hydrogen in gaseous form on the upper deck at a pressure of 250 bar.

As of February 2024, SWITCH was developing its next two zero-carbon passenger ferries, with capacities of 150 and 350 passengers, respectively.

Funding and financials

SWITCH Maritime’s latest funding round was in November 2023, when the company raised USD 10 million in a Series A funding round led by Nexus Development Capital. The company intended to use the funds for the expansion of its fleet of zero-emission vessels.