Singapore (VNA) - Solar-powered electric boats will soon ply the Singapore River, with two of 10 such vessels going into service next month.
Manufactured by local maritime start-up Pyxis, these new boats named Pyxis R will replace half of river cruise operator WaterB’s fleet of 20 boats by the end of 2025.
Pyxis founder and chief executive Tommy Phun said that the remaining eight solar-powered boats will be delivered one by one “almost every other month” for the rest of the year.
He said the solar panels on each river boat can generate about 22 kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity per day, adding that the daily combined electricity generated by 10 boats’ solar panels will be sufficient to power 20 social housing flats for a day.
Noting that river boats are mostly deployed in the evenings and at night, Phun said these vessels can harvest the sun’s energy when they are on standby in the afternoon.
In addition, Pyxis R ferries are one of the first boats in Singapore to have vehicle-to-grid technology – a system which allows vessels to return excess renewable energy to the grid, he added.
In March 2024, Pyxis launched a series of electric workboats to ferry workers between Marina South Pier and nearby anchorages./.
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