Two solar-electric ro-ro ferries to join Kochi's water transport fleet by 2027

The State Water Transportation department (SWTD) is set to place an order for two partly solar-powered electric roll-on roll-off (ro-ro) ferries with a boatyard in Alappuzha district, in a move aimed at lowering fuel costs and noise on a busy Kochi water route.

Roll-on roll-off ferries carry vehicles that drive on board at one end and off at the other, without the use of cranes. Each of the new vessels will be able to carry a total load of 100 tonnes, with roughly 30% of its energy needs met by solar panels fitted on its roof.

According to SWTD sources, the ferries are expected to be commissioned in October 2027 and will operate in the Bolgatty–Vallarpadam International Transshipment Terminal corridor. The department operates ferries and a small number of tourist boats.

Each vessel will be able to carry two 40-foot trailer lorries, or 20 cars, or a mix of the two at a time. Drivers of these vehicles and passengers will be able to travel on board simultaneously, in a dedicated space.

Sandith Thandasherry, chief executive officer of Navalt, the start-up firm that is to begin building the vessels in about a month, said the energy from 35-KW solar panels on each vessel would be in addition to the power stored in a pair of 60-KW LTO (lithium-titanium-oxide) batteries, similar to those used on board Water Metro ferries. The vessels can operate for 25 to 30 minutes after each recharge. He said the Indian Register of Shipping had approved their design.

Mr. Thandasherry described the partly solar-powered, double-ended ro-ro electric ferry as a unique design intended to keep operational and maintenance costs low. A double-ended vessel can be sailed in either direction without turning around. Each ferry will be built for ₹9.50 crore, he said — less than the cost of the new diesel ro-ro ferry that the Kochi Corporation launched over a month ago.

The order follows long-standing complaints about the diesel ferries already in service. The three ro-ro ferries of the Kochi Corporation that operate in the Vypeen–Fort Kochi corridor run on diesel, and tourism and other stakeholders from the region have complained of severe noise pollution. Their operational cost is also much higher than that of electric vessels, it is learnt.

SWTD sources said the two electric ferries are expected to reduce congestion on city roads and on the bottlenecked two-lane bridge that connects the city with the container terminal, by moving more vehicles by water.

Kochi has in recent years expanded water-based transport, with the Kochi Water Metro and traditional ferries carrying commuters across the backwaters. Electric vessels form part of this push, though the city's ferry fleet still includes a large number of diesel-run boats. If delivered on schedule, the new ro-ro ferries would be among the larger electric vessels in the State's fleet.

The timeline for the vessels extends to 2027. The capacity, cost and performance figures are based on the design approved so far, and remain subject to the construction and trials that are yet to begin. The SWTD has not announced a specific date by which the order will be placed, beyond its stated plan to do so soon.