KOCHI: Kochi Water Metro has added yet another laurel to its impressive list of achievements, as the country’s first water metro system is featured in UN Habitat’s ‘World Cities Report 2024: Cities and Climate Action’ for its role in “revitalising water transport and elevating it to include climate change considerations and principles of sustainable urban development.”
The World Cities Report 2024 highlights the critical role cities play in addressing the global climate crisis, both in terms of reversing its impacts (through mitigation) and reducing the vulnerability of at-risk communities, groups and individuals through adaptation.
“Despite the benefits of inland waterway transport, many cities are yet to harness its full potential. Given the fact that many cities around the world are located along navigable waterways, there is enormous potential to implement water-based transportation as a solution that is highly adaptable to climate change and can help mitigate emissions.
The Kochi Water Metro offers a prototype of how other cities may revitalise their water transport and elevate it to include climate change considerations and principles of sustainable urban development,” the report said under the chapter ‘Enhancing Urban Mobility through Low-Carbon Water Transport’.
The boats have been designed and constructed in a way that lowers their environmental impact through the use of lightweight and recyclable materials, together with a low draft and wake design, resulting in reduced power consumption and noise emissions, thus limiting disruption to the flora and fauna in the waterway, it said.
“The use of electric propulsion for the boats is further expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 22,400 tonnes per year upon full implementation,” the report said.
The Kochi Water Metro, which began commercial operations in April last year, is expected to be fully operational in 2035, by connecting 10 island communities with the mainland and serve about 1,00,000 passengers daily. The project entails a fleet of 78 battery-operated electric hybrid boats, with capacity varying from 50 to 100 passengers, serving 30 modern terminals in 15 routes, for a distance of 76km.
“The metro aims to achieve 100% renewable energy operation through a 17 megawatt peak (MWp) solar plant. The project supports India’s target of becoming carbon neutral by 2070,” it said.