Wouldn’t You Really Rather Have An Electric Ferry?

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New York Climate Week 2025 begins on Sunday, September 21, and the schedule is packed full of reminders why the era of fossil fuels is finally winding down. Exhibit A is an electric ferry from the Dublin firm Artemis Technologies, which aims to replace the fantastically noisy, chunky, smelly experience of traveling under diesel power with the smooth, quiet ride of a battery-powered hydrofoil.

Searching For The Electric Ferry Of The Future

Those among us who do not commute regularly by ferry may tend to overlook the key role that watercraft can play in decarbonizing urban mass transit systems, but they do play a role, and it is key. Take New York City, for example, where interstate ferry services routinely supplement travel to and from New Jersey, just across the Hudson River.

Within New York City, transportation planners have also depended on the long-running Staten Island Ferry to take some of the pressure off vehicular traffic. In 2017, New York also launched the new NYC Ferry service to expand ferry transportation options around the city. The ongoing popularization of Governors Island has added yet a third major ferry network to the mix.

None of these three is quite ready for the electric ferry of the future. Though, they have made some sustainability improvements. Just a few months ago the Staten Island Ferry, for example, completed the switch from conventional diesel fuel to renewable diesel sourced from used cooking oil and waste tallow. The New York City Economic Development Commission, a co-supporter of the NYC Ferry system, has also indicated an interest in shifting to renewable diesel.

Governors Island has taken a different tack. On August 12, the Trust for Governors Island celebrated the delivery of its first hybrid electric ferry, the Harbor Charger. Billed as the first hybrid electric ferry for public use in New York State, the Harbor Charger replaces a 1950s-era diesel ferry with the new BlueDrive diesel-electric propul­sion sys­tem developed by Siemens, which also contributed its Blue­Vault energy storage system and and Eco­MAIN controller to the new $33 million ferry.

Here’s Your New Electric Ferry, Right Here

With its robust and growing ferry system, New York City has become a lightening rod for electric ferry innovators, of which Artemis Technologies is one.

Artemis first crossed the CleanTechnica radar back in 2022 with its design for a hydrofoil electric ferry. Hydrofoils are winglike outcroppings on the sides of ships, which deploy the “ground effect” to lift the hull out of the water, thereby cutting down on drag.

“Artemis Technologies, a maritime design and applied technologies firm, has introduced the design of its 100% electric EF-24 Passenger vessel for the global high-speed ferry market,” CleanTechnica’s Jennifer Sensiba noted in September of 2022.

“This revolutionary ferry is among several zero-emission vessels being created by Artemis Technologies in Belfast, Northern Ireland, with the goal of providing commercially viable green transportation options to operators, cities, and governments all over the world,” Sensiba added.

Artemis has not been letting the electrification grass grown under its feet since then. Co-founder David Tyler will be in New York City all this week for Climate Week with a route data plan to complement his company’s electric ferry technology. That’s of interest considering that the city is evaluating a new route optimization proposal for NYC Ferry, based on rider feedback.

In the meantime, Artemis has embarked on a series of pilot studies and showcases in Europe, including a new collaboration with the global firm FRS Group on a feasibility study for a new “UK Green Shipping Corridor” between Newlyn in Cornwall and St Mary’s in the Isles of Scilly.

The study will assess how the Artemis EF-24 Passenger electric hydrofoil ferry can handle weather on the route during the winter, when bad weather interferes with conventional passenger and cargo ferry service.

The Fuel Cell Solution

New York transportation planners in search of an electric ferry may also have a fuel cell option at hand. The idea of a fuel cell ferry surfaced on the CleanTechnica radar back in 2018 and not much activity has occurred in the ensuing years. However, that may be about to change. Last year, the firm SWITCH Maritime began operating its Sea Change fuel cell electric ferry in San Francisco, and New York City is next in line.

If you’re wondering why SWITCH is following the fuel cell track instead of developing battery-electric ferries, that’s a good question. “Generally, hydrogen as a fuel source can support greater range and power requirements due to its high energy density,” SWITCH says of its business model. “Additionally, it simplifies zero-emissions vessel operations by eliminating the need for fixed shoreside charging infrastructure, allowing for fueling through established truck-to-ship or ship-to-ship practices.”

Sea Change was designed to run its fuel cells on compressed hydrogen gas. In Norway, SWITCH has also been collaborating on a fuel cell electric ferry project deploying cryogenically liquified hydrogen. “Compressed GH₂ is well suited for small- to medium-sized vessels; however, as vessel size and energy demand increases, cryogenic LH₂ becomes the preferred storage solution,” SWITCH notes.

Last November, SWITCH announced that it will collaborate with the Norwegian firms LH2 Shipping and LMG Marin to construct a sister vessel in the US. Like its counterpart in Norway, the US project will run on liquid hydrogen, carrying 80 cars and 300 passengers.

Fuel Cell Electric Ferries And The New York Hydrogen Hub

If all goes according to plan, SWITCH will also bring a fuel cell ferry to New York as part of a new $11 million hydrogen demonstration initiative announced by Governor Kathy Hochul in August. The program includes five hydrogen projects related to storage and transportation under the wing of the Advanced Fuels and Thermal Energy Research Program administered by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA).

“Beyond grid support, the awarded projects will demonstrate how clean hydrogen can help to reduce various emissions, including carbon, nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide, and particulate matter, from industrial processes and transportation in congested areas,” NYSERDA explains.

SWITCH will get a $2 million share of the pot to bring its fuel cell electric ferry to New York City. The company’s co-founder and CEO, Pace Rallie, has indicated that the new ferry will carry 150 passengers.

The centerpiece of the plan is a $4.9 million award to Stony Brook University, aimed at demonstrating an economical hydrogen storage system at a health care facility. Among the other awardees, GTI Energy will examine geological opportunities for hydrogen storage in New York State, National Grid Ventures will install a hydrogen generator at its power plant in Fort Salonga on a one-year test basis, and the indefatigable hydrogen firm Plug Power will partner with Verne to develop a cryogenic hydrogen system for use among small-to-medium warehouse operators.

Photo: This sleek hydrofoil electric ferry skims above the water, providing passengers with a smooth, practically noiseless, zero-emission ride. (courtesy of Artemis Technoloiges).