The roar and stink of heavy, wooden diesel boats that navigate through the inland water routes of Kerala are slowly giving way to the gentle hums of solar-powered engines.
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Buoyed by the success of its first solar passenger ferry service, the State Water Transport Department (SWTD) in Kerala will be inducting ten more solar boats to its fleet. The first of these boats—a double hull cruise boat with the capacity to carry 100 passengers—is slated for a launch in Kochi this Onam season.
“Works on the vessels, nine of which will operate as passenger ferries, are in different stages and they will be launched into service in a phased manner. The ferry boats, being built at a cost of around ₹2.5 crore each, will work on 80 Kilo Watts propulsive power engines and can carry up to 75 passengers,” said Shaji V. Nair, Director, State Water Transport Department.
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The design and specifications of the ferry boats, which also included augmentation of the battery capacity, were finalised after analysing the operation of the pilot project Aditya in Vaikom for a couple of years.
While the department is yet to decide on the routes of operation for these boats, official sources said one of these would be deployed between Vaikom and Thavanakkadavu—one of the busiest water routes in the State. The Perumbalam-Panavally route in Alappuzha, meanwhile, is also likely to get a solar boat.
The SWTD's drive to sustainable operation by harnessing solar power and its boating applications follows the success of Aditya, which completed five years of its operation in January this year. As per estimates, the boat has helped the SWTD save diesel worth ₹25 lakh every year with the daily cost of operation remaining at a rock bottom price of around ₹250.