Aditya (boat)
Aditya is a solar-powered ferry operating between Vaikkom and Thavanakkadavu in the Indian state of Kerala. The boat was inaugurated by Kerala Chief Minister Sri. Pinarayi Vijayan and Central Cabinet Minister for Power, Renewable Energy, Sri. Piyush Goyal on 12 January 2017.
| History | |
|---|---|
| India | |
| Name | Aditya |
| Owner | Kerala State Water Transport Department |
| Operator | Kerala State Water Transport Department |
| Port of registry | Kodungallur |
| Route | Vaikom – Thavanakkadavu |
| Builder | Navalt Solar and Electric Boats, Kochi, India |
| Cost | ₹2 Crores |
| Yard number | Y-09 |
| Launched | 9 November 2016 |
| Completed | November 2016 |
| In service | 12 January 2017 |
| Status | In service |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Indian Register of Shipping IRS +IW ZONE 3 FERRY |
| Displacement | 23 tonnes |
| Length | 21 m |
| Beam | 7 m |
| Height | 3.7 m |
| Draught | 0.95 m |
| Depth | 1.75 m |
| Decks | Single |
| Installed power | 2 × 9 kW (cruise) 2 × 20 kW (max) |
| Propulsion | 2 Permanent magnet asynchronous electrical motors – 20 kW each (max) @ 700 rpm |
| Speed |
|
| Capacity | 75 passengers |
| Crew | 3 |
It is India's first solar-powered ferry and the largest solar-powered boat in India. The vessel was designed and built by Navalt Solar and Electric Boats in Kochi, India. Navalt is a technology joint venture firm between Navgathi Marine Design and Constructions, Alternative Energies (France) and EVE Systems (France).
In August 2020, MarineLink reported that by the end of the year the Kerala state would replace the three diesel ferries operating the same route with solar ones, mentioning that Aditya costs about US$79 per month compared to US$2867 for diesel-powered ones. In three years the Aditya has saved more than 100,000 liters of diesel. The State Water Transport Department of the Government of Kerala also decided to replace all of its 48 diesel ferries with solar ones.