Home » First Electric Boat Built For Kochi Water Metro

Why in news:

Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) handed over the first Electric Hybrid 100 Pax water metro ferry to Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL).
These 23 battery-powered electric boats that are being constructed for the water metro project under the KMRL can carry up to 100 passengers.

About the boat :

The fully air-conditioned boat is one of 23 being manufactured for the 747-crore Kochi Water Metro project by the Cochin Shipyard.
The Kochi Water Metro system would include 78 ships that will connect 38 ports over 76 route kilometers.
The 100-passenger water metro boat is powered by batteries.
Water metro boats uses LTO batteries, which is the latest in battery technology and safest battery chemistry industrially available with a capability for fast charging.
The battery can be charged in 10 to 15 minutes while the passengers are boarding.
According to KMRL, this is the first time a centrally managed integrated water transportation system with a large fleet has been powered by a battery.
The boats are designed to create very few waves over the narrow channels even at high speed and would traverse calmly and silently.
An automatic boat location system would continuously monitor the boat position from the Operating Control Centre at Vytilla hub and the CCTV system is capable of monitoring the boat activities from remote locations for enhanced safety and security.
Boats have generator back-up which will take over operation automatically in the event of unlikely failure of Battery system.

The Kochi Metro Rail Limited has built 23 battery-powered electric boats for the water metro project.
The first boat was handed over to the KMRL in the presence of its MD Loknath Behra and his wife Madhumita Behra at a ceremony held at the shipyard here.
The occasion was attended by CSL Chairman and Managing Director Madhu S Nair, KMRL Directors K R Kumar and D K Sinha, CSL Directors Bjoy Bhaskar and V J Jose, Water Metro General Manager Shaji Janardhanan, and others.
The boat was given the name Muziris by Madhmita Behra.

About Cochin Water Metro project

Cochin Water Metro project is intended to use the inland waterways in and around Cochin.
The project covers around 76 km on 15 identified routes connecting 38 terminals across 10 island communities and boatyards.
It is expected that the first route of Water Metro service would be formally opened within months.
The Rs 747-crore worth project is expected to solve travel issues of islanders of Vypeen, Willington, Edakochi, Nettoor, Vyttila, Eloor, Kakkanad, etc.
As Water Metro service will also connect the tourism destinations here, it is expected to give a major boost to tourism development in the region.
Water Metro is building world-class terminals similar to stations of Cochin Metro rail.

About Cochin Shipyard:

Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL) is one of the largest shipbuilding and maintenance facility in India
It is part of a line of maritime-related facilities in the port-city of Kochi, in the state of Kerala, India.
Founded – 1982
Headquarter – Kochi. Kerala.
Chairman – Madhu S. Nayar