Hydrogen-powered Passenger Boat to Launch in San Francisco
2022-05-07
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1A new hydrogen-powered passenger boat is preparing to launch in San Francisco, California.
2Builders of the 75-passenger boat, or ferry, say it produces no carbon emissions.
3The ferry, named Sea Change, is set to begin carrying passengers across San Francisco Bay to several stops in the city in June.
4The ferry is completely powered by hydrogen fuel cells.
5In this kind of power system, the fuel cells convert hydrogen gas into electricity.
6Sea Change was built at the All American Marine shipyard in Bellingham, in Washington state.
7It has been undergoing tests with the U.S. Coast Guard in nearby Puget Sound.
8The project was financed by Switch Maritime, which owns the Sea Change.
9The company's chief executive, Pace Ralli, told Reuters the ferry is the first such vessel in the world to be completely powered by hydrogen fuel cells.
10Ralli said he got the idea for the ferry while trying to come up with new ways to use less carbon in the maritime industry.
11He learned of a state-supported project in California that was developing hydrogen fuel cells as a method for "decarbonizing" ships.
12"So we joined up with them and funded their project in 2019," Ralli said.
13The leader of the All American Marine's project is Jeff Sokolik.
14He said the hydrogen fuel cells power two propellers that move the ferry at a top speed of about 37 kilometers an hour.
15He told Reuters he thinks the fuel cell power systems could one day become a new "standard" for many kinds of ships.
16He said, "They're clean, they're efficient and they make sense economically..."
17Supporters of hydrogen fuel cells say the technology is cleaner than other carbon-cutting methods because the process only releases water and heat.
18But the high cost and large fuel cell systems have so far limited use of the technology.
19"We're focused on the shipping industry because that's where we have expertise, but I don't think any industry can really wait at this point," Ralli said.
20He added that he thinks the Sea Change project can lead to more hydrogen fuel cell vessels, including larger ferries, cruise ships and tankers.
21I'm Bryan Lynn.
1A new hydrogen-powered passenger boat is preparing to launch in San Francisco, California. 2Builders of the 75-passenger boat, or ferry, say it produces no carbon emissions. The ferry, named Sea Change, is set to begin carrying passengers across San Francisco Bay to several stops in the city in June. 3The ferry is completely powered by hydrogen fuel cells. In this kind of power system, the fuel cells convert hydrogen gas into electricity. 4Sea Change was built at the All American Marine shipyard in Bellingham, in Washington state. It has been undergoing tests with the U.S. Coast Guard in nearby Puget Sound. 5The project was financed by Switch Maritime, which owns the Sea Change. The company's chief executive, Pace Ralli, told Reuters the ferry is the first such vessel in the world to be completely powered by hydrogen fuel cells. 6Ralli said he got the idea for the ferry while trying to come up with new ways to use less carbon in the maritime industry. He learned of a state-supported project in California that was developing hydrogen fuel cells as a method for "decarbonizing" ships. "So we joined up with them and funded their project in 2019," Ralli said. 7The leader of the All American Marine's project is Jeff Sokolik. He said the hydrogen fuel cells power two propellers that move the ferry at a top speed of about 37 kilometers an hour. 8He told Reuters he thinks the fuel cell power systems could one day become a new "standard" for many kinds of ships. He said, "They're clean, they're efficient and they make sense economically..." 9Supporters of hydrogen fuel cells say the technology is cleaner than other carbon-cutting methods because the process only releases water and heat. But the high cost and large fuel cell systems have so far limited use of the technology. 10"We're focused on the shipping industry because that's where we have expertise, but I don't think any industry can really wait at this point," Ralli said. 11He added that he thinks the Sea Change project can lead to more hydrogen fuel cell vessels, including larger ferries, cruise ships and tankers. 12I'm Bryan Lynn. 13Reuters reported this story. Bryan Lynn adapted the report for VOA Learning English. 14We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. 15_______________________________________________________________ 16Words in This Story 17emission - n. the act of producing or sending out something (such as energy or gas) from a source 18convert - n. to change the appearance, form or purpose of something 19vessel - n. a ship or large boat 20maritime - adj. of or relating to the sea 21propeller - n. a piece of equipment made of two or more flat metal pieces that turn and cause a ship of aircraft to move 22standard - n. a level of quality, especially one that is acceptable 23efficient - adj. working well and not wasting time or energy 24focus - v. to give special attention to something