Green energy may power Kochi water metro ferries

The 78-vessel fleet for the project will be the world’s second largest, says KMRL

Risky ride: Old boats will make way for sophisticated vessels once the Kochi water metro project is rolled out.

KOCHI: The 78 ferries proposed for the Kochi water metro will make it the world’s second largest in terms of the number of vessels.

The biggest fleet, comprising 156 ferries, operates in Venice. A general consultant, which is reviewing the ₹747-crore project mooted as a water-based extension of the Kochi metro, will shortly suggest specifications for boats, jetties, and other components. The first lot of modern ferries, including air-conditioned ones, is expected to take to Kochi’s waterbodies by the end of 2018, said sources in Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL).

The busiest of routes is expected to be the High Court-Fort Kochi sector, followed by Vyttila-Kakkanad.

Over two dozen officials of the consultant and the metro agency are at present probing ways to rely on green energy from electric or solar power or both, to supplement power from the diesel generator. Provision to charge batteries while at the shore and high-capacity solar panels will be a good option to lessen reliance on diesel, sources said.

The advantage is power can be drawn simultaneously from diesel and electric energy. The diesel generator will step in if the vessel exhausts its electric power, they added. As for the body, a choice has to be made between aluminium and glass reinforced plastic (GRP) as the ideal material for the hull, so as to enable the vessel to attain speed in the range of 15 km to 22 km per hour. The 78 ferries will traverse through 16 routes, covering 38 jetties spread over 76 km. As many as 26 ferries will have a passenger capacity of 100 each, while each of the other 52 vessels will be able to carry 50 people. A total of 35,000 riders are expected in 2020, going up to 84,000 in 2035.

The ferries will rely on an intelligent navigation system. They will also have passenger information system, GPS tracking, on-board WiFi and surveillance systems, all monitored from an operational control centre. There might even be provision to carry bicycles on board, to promote eco-friendly transport.

Along with the introduction of the fleet, KMRL will develop around 100 km of roads in islands that dot the backwaters while installing energy-efficient street lights, to ensure connectivity to jetties. A total of ₹579 crore will be availed as loan from the German bank, KfW, while the State government will pool in ₹102 crore and the private sector, ₹66 crore.