Switch Maritime, Incat Crowther Secure US Agreement for Hydrogen Ferry

Switch Maritime and Incat Crowther have secured a Design Basis Agreement (DBA) with the United States Coast Guard (USCG) for their SWITCH-150 hydrogen fuel cell-electric fast ferry, marking a regulatory milestone in the development of the 150-passenger vessel.

The agreement establishes a regulatory framework to guide the vessel's construction, commissioning and eventual operation, with the design intended to deliver performance comparable to diesel-powered ferries while producing only water vapour as vessel emissions.

The SWITCH-150 combines hydrogen fuel cell-electric propulsion with onboard hydrogen storage, allowing it to operate on high-frequency ferry routes without requiring shoreside charging infrastructure or changes to service schedules to accommodate charging.

The vessel is designed to be refuelled using mobile hydrogen equipment, with a daily bunkering schedule.

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