Thailand to get its first electric ferry service soon

By The Nation

 

 

As part of its 161-year anniversary, the Marine Department is launching the country’s first electric ferry – the BanpuNext e-Ferry – as part of efforts to cut down on pollution.

 

It will soon start trial runs in Phuket and have a fleet of solar-powered boats running by 2021.

 

“By 2021, there should be up to 30 ferries providing service in the first phase before it expands to 200 ferries in three to four years. The e-ferry is cost-effective because it is made of aluminium and with lower fuel and maintenance cost, the fares will also be cheaper,” the Marine Department’s director general Wittaya Yamuang said.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30392495

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-08-05

 

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Somebody must be sinking a fair bit of cash into that venture.

17 minutes ago, ratcatcher said:

Somebody must be sinking a fair bit of cash into that venture.

The taxpayer.

Great step into the right direction. We have to get rid of all these nasty diesel powered boat engines.

31 minutes ago, GeoMill said:

Great step into the right direction. We have to get rid of all these nasty diesel powered boat engines.

They will still need "engines" to power the boat! Diesel is a lot cleaner than the HFO that "big" ships burn.

Be silly of them to have started on the roads and start cleaning up the trucks that are illegally burning dirty diesel fuel and producing excessive noxious fumes that are then passed onto all and sundry to breathe!

They have their priorities a-skewed! 

I hope they have thought about re-charging facilities ...............LOL

Looks good. I think it'll easily hold 500+ passengers.

Electricity + water... nah!

That ain't gonna end well.

14 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

It will soon start trial runs in Phuket and have a fleet of solar-powered boats running by 2021.

I believe that these boats are electric, but I have trouble believing they're "solar powered", unless they're just talking about using a few solar panels to power some cabin lights.

They are going to need a hell of a lot of cable......so now you can

get electrocuted just before you drown ????.

regards worgeordie

Energy Absolute with the CEO following Elon Musk in battery and engine technology.  A self made millionaire trained in the USA.  A company to watch.

A well maintained diesel engine, in a boat or truck, do not smoke to be seen.

 

In Scandinavia there are many electric ferries they have batteries and some are bigger than the picture.

16 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The e-ferry is cost-effective because it is made of aluminium and with lower fuel and maintenance cost, the fares will also be cheaper,” the Marine

Wouldn't believe a word he said. 

Fully Electric ? Monstrous Batteries/Weighing Tonnes/charging time at the Dock/How HRS can it be Operated before charging . 

Go for everything Electric .

Electricity isn't that Clean .Just see how they make most of it. 

Next the price per unit of electricity will go sky high.

 

4 hours ago, Geoffggi said:

I hope they have thought about re-charging facilities ...............LOL

No problem One VERY LONG extension cord and a battery charger  ????

Why? There's no tourists, they can't keep the ones they have afloat 555

The aluminium maybe lighter but it takes up to 9 times more energy to produce than steel.  Now they have batteries with acid thrown into the equation and what acid is it...Sulphuric acid...which eats aluminium. Or maybe they will use some other battery like Lithium ion!  Hell the batteries will cost more than the boat!  

7 hours ago, Geoffggi said:

I hope they have thought about re-charging facilities ...............LOL

Thet are SOLAR powered.

On 8/6/2020 at 11:54 AM, perconrad said:

A well maintained diesel engine, in a boat or truck, do not smoke to be seen.

 

In Scandinavia there are many electric ferries they have batteries and some are bigger than the picture.

Norway have a lot of e-ferries now - However Norway have both oil and Hydroelectric energy available so from that aspect it makes sense to use electricity - The e-ferries that are made now tend to all be made with Li-ion batteries. It is always a interesting calculation to do total life cost - and calculate for pollution.  The ferry itself does not have enough surface to allow it to be charged with solar power (just supply top-up for A/C systems etc ...)  However if a solar farm was set up - exporting to the grid - then supplied back as needed. That does stack up if done correctly.  Several commercially viable  solar plant in Malaysia.