Full clean ahead: can shipping finally steer away from fossil fuels?

Electric ships, hydrogen, ‘air lubrication’ and even good old wind power are reducing emissions, but campaigners say true change will ‘take guts’

The passenger ferry MV Sea Change is due this month to make its maiden voyage across San Francisco Bay. But it won’t be the usual hour-long chug for the 75 passengers travelling north to Vallejo, California. Guests might notice how quiet the engine is – and they could even drink the emissions it releases.

That’s because MV Sea Change is the first commercial ferry to be powered not by the usual diesel engine but entirely from hydrogen. Its only emission is pure water.