Taking ahead the cause of eco-friendly maritime transportation, Barracuda, said to be India’s fastest solar-electric boat, was launched on Wednesday at the yard of Navalt Solar and Electric Boats, located off Aroor in Alappuzha.
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Named after the swift, long fish, Barracuda was designed by Navalt and can be deployed even in the rough seas as a workboat to ferry up to 12 passengers and cargo. The 14-metre-long, 4.4-metre-wide vessel can attain a top speed of 12.5 knots (23 kmph) and has a range of seven hours on a single charge. It has twin 50 kW electric motors, a marine-grade LFP battery, and 6 kW solar power, epitomising efficient and clean energy usage, says a release issued by Navalt.
Sanjay Kumar Singh, general manager, Mazagon Dock Limited, for whom the vessel was built, was among those who were present at the launch. Mazagon Dock will introduce the eco-friendly vessel at its Mumbai dock.
It is engineered to navigate through waves as tall as four metres and operates without noise, vibration and air pollution.
“We would continue to contribute towards a cleaner and quieter ocean, for which such boats would provide affordable substitutes for conventional fossil-fuelled boats,” said Sandith Thandasherry, managing director, Navalt Solar and Electric Boats. It won the world’s best start-up award in the mobility and transportation category at the Berlin Start-up Energy Transition Awards 2023. The firm that operates from Kochi has also received various prestigious awards, including the Gustave Trouve Awards twice.