SWTD to launch two partly solar-powered, electric ro-ro ferries in Kochi

The operational cost of the three ro-ro ferries that now operate in the Vypeen-Fort Kochi corridor is much higher than that of electric vessels. The State Water Transportation department (SWTD) will soon place an order for two partly solar-powered electric roll-on roll-off (ro-ro) ferries with a boatyard in Alappuzha district.The ferries, each of which would be able to carry 100-tonne load in total, would source approximately 30% of their energy requirements from their rooftop solar panels.The vessels are expected to be commissioned in October 2027, in the Bolgatty-Vallarpadam International Transshipment Terminal corridor,” said sources in the SWTD that operates ferries and a few tourist boats.The three ro-ro ferries of the Kochi Corporation that operate in the Vypeen-Fort Kochi corridor are diesel-run, with the result that tourism and other stakeholders from the region complain of severe noise pollution. Their operational cost is also much higher than that of electric vessels, it is learnt.“Each of the vessels would be able to carry two 40-foot trailer lorries or 20 cars or a mix of these at a time. Drivers of these vehicles and passengers too would be able to travel simultaneously on board on a dedicated space. The energy from the 35-KW solar panels atop each vessel would be apart from the power stored in a pair of 60-KW LTO batteries (akin to the batteries on board Water Metro ferries). They can operate for 25 to 30 minutes after each recharge. The Indian Register of Shipping [IRS] has approved their design,” said Sandit Thandassery, chief executive officer of Navalt, the start-up firm that is set to commence the construction of the vessels in a month’s time.He added that the partly solar-powered double-ended ro-ro electric ferry would be a unique one that has been designed to rein in operational and maintenance costs. “Each such ferry would be built for ₹9.50 crore, which is less than the cost of the new diesel ro-ro ferry that the Kochi Corporation launched over a month ago,” he said.The launch of the two electric ferries is in turn expected to lessen congestion on city roads and the bottlenecked two-lane bridge that connects the city with the container terminal, SWTD sources said. Published - September 15, 2026 07:44 pm IST