The Hindu (Delhi)

‘India’s fastest’ solarelect­ric boat launched

Barracuda can navigate through waves as tall as four metres and operates without noise and vibration

Taking ahead the cause of ecofriendl­y maritime transporta­tion, Barracuda, said to be India’s fastest solarelect­ric boat, was launched on Wednesday at the yard of Navalt Solar and Electric Boats, located off Aroor in Alappuzha.

Named after the swift, long fish, Barracuda was designed by Navalt and can be deployed even in the rough seas as a workboat to ferry up to 12 passengers and cargo. The 14metrelon­g, 4.4metrewide vessel can attain a top speed of 12.5 knots (23 kmph) and has a range of seven hours on a single charge. It has twin 50 kW electric motors, a marinegrad­e LFP battery, and 6 kW solar power, says a sued by Navalt.

Sanjay Kumar Singh, general manager, Mazagon Dock Limited, for whom the vessel was built, was among those who were present at the launch. Mazagon Dock will introduce release isthe ecofriendl­y its Mumbai dock.

It is engineered to navigate through waves as tall as four metres and operates without noise, vibration and air pollution.

“We would continue to contribute towards a cleanvesse­l at er and quieter ocean, for which such boats would provide affordable substitute­s for convention­al fossilfuel­led boats,” said Sandith Thandasher­ry, managing director, Navalt Solar and Electric Boats. It won the world’s best startup award in the mobility and transporta­tion category at the Berlin Startup Energy Transition Awards 2023. The firm that operates from Kochi has also received various prestigiou­s awards, including the Gustave Trouve Awards twice.