Solar ferry ready for trial in Alappuzha
The boat, made of fibre glass, is 20 metres in length and 7 metres in width. It will have a maximum cruising speed of 7.5 knots.
A solar ferry, being built in the private sector for Kerala State Water Transport Department, is ready for trial. The 75-seater boat constructed by NavAlt, an enterprise based in Kerala, will be taken from the manufacturing site of the enterprise at Aroor to water bodies in the coming days. A formal launch of the boat would be done soon after the successful trials.
The boat, made of fibre glass, is 20 metres in length and 7 metres in width. It will have a maximum cruising speed of 7.5 knots, according to Sandith Thandasherry, a naval architect and head of NavAlt, a joint venture with a French company. The imported lithium battery pack and motor console were fitted on the boat recently after completion of the work on the hull and superstructure. The noiseless and pollution-free operation would make a remarkable change from the conventional ferries that use diesel as fuel.
Source:thehindu
