The Kerala State Water Transport Department (SWTD) is all set to replace its entire fleet of steel ferries in Ernakulam with seven catamaran ferries having fibre-reinforced plastic (FRP) body by August, and all of them will be retrofitted with CNG kits in 2023.
The steel boats that operate here will be shifted to Alappuzha and Kollam, since the vessels are getting corroded fast due to proximity with the sea in Ernakulam. The agency’s solar cruise boat and second solar ferry too are getting ready for launch in a couple of months in Ernakulam and Alappuzha, considering the global acclaim that Aditya, its first solar ferry, won in 2020. A sum of ₹29 crore was allotted in this year’s budget to modernise its fleet and to augment safety measures.
“Retrofitting CNG kits in ferries that run on diesel is expected to cost ₹5.50 lakh per vessel. This would be followed by the replacement of at least 50% of our fleet with solar ferries in another five years. This is also commercially viable, since daily energy expense per ferry will come down to ₹500, as compared to over ₹9,000 for diesel,” said SWTD Director Shaji V. Nair.
