Navalt, a Kochi-based startup that is one of the largest manufacturers of solar-electric boats in India, is all set to deliver two 100-tonne Roll-on Roll-off (Ro-Ro) vessels to the State Water Transport Department (SWTD) this year.
The two new-generation vessels, which are currently under construction, are expected to be launched in six months, an SWTD official told Indian Express.
“These Ro-Ros will be able to carry four 40-feet-long container trucks—or 30 cars—at a time. The SWTD authorities will be deciding the route and other such details,” said Navalt founder and CEO Sandith Thandasherry in the report.
Thandasherry noted that the maritime startup had originally begun with a clear focus on making public transport ferries and slow-speed inland vessels.
Navalt and the SWTD go way back: the Kochi-based startup is the brains behind Aditya, India's first solar-powered ferry launched on January 12, 2017, connecting Vaikom in Kottayam with Thavanakkadavu in Alappuzha.
It went on to manufacture 80 vessels that have been deployed across 11 states in the country, in addition to boats for Canada, Israel, Seychelles, and the Maldives.
Thandasherry noted that the Ro-Ros were among the first of the new-generation vessels that the company was diversifying into.
"We are moving into sea-going and speed boats (going at 15 knots). The aim is to take electric propulsion into coastal and real-world marine conditions. Next in line are high-speed foiling vessels with a speed of 35 knots. The plan is to use hydrofoil technology to reduce drag and enable energy-efficient fast transport,” he added.
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