Get ready for a green, clean backwater sojourn in India’s first solar ferry

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state which is basking in the glory of rolling out India’s first solar ferry and making operational the first fully solar-powered airport is set to reduce its carbon footprint further by pressing more eco-friendly solar-powered boats into service in the dreamy backwaters of the state. The state Transport Department has given administrative sanction to procure the 80 KW solar vessel and two water taxis, for which a sum of Rs 3 crore and Rs 1.6 crore have been earmarked to the State Water Transport Department (SWTD).

The SWTD, which launched the first solar-powered ferry in the country a year ago, will come up with additional features in the new solar boat. For instance, if the 20-metre-long and seven-metre-wide solar boat constructed at a cost of Rs 2 crore, is capable of cruising at a maximum speed of 7.5 knots, powered by 71-140 m2 solar panels installed on its roof and capable of producing 20 KW of electricity stored in 700-kg/50-KW lithium-ion battery, the new boat will have the capacity to produce 80 KW of power and the battery back up of the new boats will be higher than the existing one. 

Besides, it will have a lot of additional features than the existing boat, said SWTD director Shaji V Nair. There is also another solar boat under construction and the air-conditioned cabin can accommodate 50 commuters at a time when 70 people can travel in the non-AC area. Pressing two more solar-powered boats into service will take the fleet size of solar boats of the SWTD to three, while the administrative sanction to two more water taxis will ensure the SWTD has four water taxis in the coming months. 

The construction of two catamaran-type water taxis is in progress which would be rolled out for service in six months. Giving permission to construct two more water taxis will enhance the size of its water-taxi fleet to four, apart from the 52 scheduled boat services being conducted on a daily basis by the SWTD , said Shaji. The catamaran-type water taxi can ferry 10 passengers at a speed of 15 nautical miles and it is mainly aimed at tourists who can rent them for an hour or so. All the vessels, including the solar-powered boats, will adhere to safety norms fixed by the Indian Register of Shipping (IRS). The solar boat launched by the SWTD has also hogged limelight nationally with ministerial delegations from Maharashtra and West Bengal visiting the state to explore the possibility of replicating the same in their states. 
Acquisition of fleet & augmentation of ferry services