KOCHI: If things go as planned, Kochi Water Metro Ltd will have a solar power station, similar to the one set up by CIAL, to run and operate its entire fleet of boats. The initiative will make the Water Metro eco-friendly and cost-effective, experts said.
“The entire project was conceptualised around the fact that the dark side of electric vehicles should not be taken forward by anybody in the industry. Any project that is running on solar energy is not running on solar power alone. It’s running on electricity. So it’s green-washing,” said Ajith Nair, COO, of Kochi Water Metro Ltd, adding that Kochi Water Metro’s will not be ‘green-washing’.
He was speaking during a presentation on water metro at the ELETS National Railways and Transport Innovation Summit held in Kochi. “Since the conceptualisation of the Water Metro, we thought of installing a 16-17 MW solar system from where we will tap the electricity. The entire system, from the start to the end, is purely electric, which will be the first such system. We have almost 100 acres of government land where we will be installing the plant. Therefore, in the entire system of the Water Metro, not a single fossil fuel unit will be used,” said Nair.
Meanwhile, Water Metro sources said that discussions are in the initial stage and the proposal to set up a solar system to generate 17 MW of energy is under the consideration of the government. “The concept is net zero fuel consumption, meaning we are not spending any money on fuel,” said a source. “We will need 17 MW only when the 78 boats are running on the 76-km stretch. Therefore, the plan is to develop the station as per requirements,” the source added.
However, the officials remained tight-lipped about the launch of the Water Metro, which has received recognition and awards from across the globe. The work on the terminals at High Court and Vypeen has been completed, and Cochin Shipyard has delivered the first batch of boats to the Water Metro.