KOCHI: Kochi-based startup Navalt, the largest solar electric boat manufacturer in the country, is set to deliver two 100-tonne capacity ‘roll on/roll off’ vessels to the State Water Transport Department (SWTD) this year. The high-speed boats are under construction, Navalt founder and CEO Sandith Thandasherry told TNIE.
“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,” Sandith said.
Confirming the development, an SWTD official said the boats will be launched in six months.
According to Sandith, Navalt has manufactured 80 vessels that are deployed across 11 states in the country. “We have also exported boats to Canada, Israel, the Maldives, and Seychelles. We started out with a clear focus on making public transport ferries and slow-speed inland vessels. However, we are now expanding,” he said.
The Ro-Ros for the SWTD are the first among the new-gen boats that the company is now diversifying into.
“These Ro-Ros too are solar-run. 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,” Sandith said.
Besides the hydrofoil, the company has received orders for large vessels like tugs.
“We are targeting high fuel-consuming segments where electrification has maximum impact,” he said.
According to him, the company’s earlier projects have proved that solar electric boats are not just cleaner but economically viable as well.
“We believe that electric marine economics work best when technology is designed and manufactured in India. Local manufacturing means lower costs and strategic industrial capability,” he pointed out.
The founder highlighted how Navalt started out by proving solar ferries work.
“Now, we are building the next generation of electric vessels — from inland transport to high-speed and heavy-duty maritime applications,” he added.
The company, which is already making waves in international waters, plans to launch several major projects before the end of the year.
Ambitious plan
Navalt has manufactured 80 vessels that are deployed across 11 states in the country. It has also exported boats to Canada, Israel, the Maldives, and Seychelles
The Ro-Ros for SWTD are solar-run
The company is planning to build high-speed foiling vessels with a speed of 35 knots next