India’s first solar powered boat called ‘Aditya‘ was launched at Kochi’s Vembanad lake in Kerala. It is first solar-powered ferry and the largest solar-powered boat in India.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said that the government has taken up the development of water transport in the state with utmost seriousness. He was speaking after inaugurating the first solar-powered boat of the state for water transport.
Union minister Piyush Goyal performed the switch on function of the boat. Minister A K Saseendran presided. Prior to the launching of the boat service, test run was done for a week. Two electric motors and a lithium battery is used in the boat. The boat is 20 metre long and 7 metre wide. It can travel at a speed of 14 km per hour. When the ordinary boats takes 15 minutes to reach Thavanakkadavu from Vaikom, the solar boat will take only half that time.