Vembanad Lake in Kerala will be the proud owner of the first solar powered ferry boat in India ‘Aditya’. The 20 meter long, 7 meter wide boat has a maximum capacity of 75 and seats and run at a cruise speed of 7.5 knots. NavAlt, a Kochi-based joint venture with a French company, has built the vessel.
The 75-seater ferry successfully cleared the initial trial run in the backwaters of Kochi under the supervision of a technical committee and the Kerala Ports Surveyor. After completing the trial run, the boat is all set to go into commercial service in the 2.5km stretch between Vaikom and Thavanakkadav.
Built at a cost of INR2 crore, Aditya is capable of cruising at a maximum speed of 7.5 knots and makes less noise and vibration as compared to normal diesel ferries. The ferry is powered by 71-140 m2 solar panels installed on its roof, capable of producing 20 KW of electricity, which is stored in 700-kg/50-KW lithium-ion battery.
After attending the trial run of solar-powered ferry, the Kerala State Water Transport Department has decided to induct more solar-powered ferries and passenger boats into its fleet.
Date: 26 November 2016 | Source: New Indian Express
http://navaltboats.com/blog/2016/11/17/aditya-indias-first-solar-powered-ferry-launching-soon/