Incat Crowther and Switch Advance Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Catamaran for New York

Incat Crowther published project details on 20 February 2026 announcing the start of detailed development and naval architecture work on a hydrogen fuel cell-electric fast ferry design targeted for New York waters, in partnership with US developer Switch Maritime. The project is supported by a USD $2 million grant from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), and the partners say the work will move beyond concept into regulatory and approval stages.

Workboat and Incat Crowther describe the design as an aluminium catamaran roughly 28 metres long (Workboat gives imperial dimensions of 93'6" x 29'6"), sized for 150 passengers and a cruising speed of 25 knots. Reported energy and propulsion figures published with the project include 720 kg of compressed hydrogen storage, four 588-kW electric motors (total 2,352 kW), six 225-kW hydrogen fuel cells (total 1,350 kW) and a 1,576 kWh battery energy storage system.

Partners frame the powertrain as engineered to support a full day of operations without changing current service patterns. Shippax summarized the operational claim this way: "The vessel’s hydrogen fuel cell‑electric propulsion and hydrogen storage systems ensure the new ferry can maintain an operational profile similar to that of a diesel vessel. This means parallel service speeds, a daily bunkering schedule, no need to increase dwell time or alter service to account for vessel charging, and no investment in costly shoreside charging infrastructure and power grid upgrades. The drop‑in nature of the technology ensures the new hydrogen fuel cell‑electric ferry will seamlessly integrate into current operations, rather than requiring schedule changes or a system‑wide reorientation."

Switch’s founder and CEO Elias Van Sickle framed the commercial aim in Workboat coverage: "Switch aims to provide operators with commercially viable vessels that future‑proof ferry fleets. Our objective is to meet existing performance standards with drop‑in solutions that don't require overhauling systems or schedules. And if it can be done in New York, it can be done anywhere."

The partners plan a ZEF-150 demonstration vessel to be based at the Brooklyn Navy Yard as part of the New York deployment plan, with Incat Crowther and Switch working through regulatory approval steps together. NYSERDA’s president and CEO Doreen M. Harris said: "NYSERDA's partnership with Switch Maritime and Incat Crowther on the first hydrogen fuel cell‑electric ferry is a catalyst for the future of zero‑emission transportation in New York State. This demonstration is an impressive showcase for clean hydrogen as an emerging and innovative technology that is on the cusp of transforming how people move from place to place."

The project builds on the partners’ prior collaboration on SEA CHANGE, which now operates in the California Bay Area. Workboat refers to the new design as "Sea Change II" while other outlets use generic "28-metre" descriptors; the shipbuilder has not been selected and no construction or in-service dates were provided. H2‑View notes sector headwinds, citing the September 2025 shutdown of Zero Emission Industries as contextual background, underscoring that next milestones for the New York project will be shipbuilder selection, hydrogen bunkering plans at Brooklyn Navy Yard, and completion of classification and USCG regulatory approvals.