Promoting the concept of sun cruise among tourists, Water Resources Minister Roshy Augustine on Sunday launched the service of two solar-powered boats at Peruvannamuzhi ecotourism spot in Kozhikode district. The boats, owned by Green Holidays, a venture of the Chakkittappara Cooperative Bank, would be used to operate pleasure trips covering nearly 13-km distance in the reservoir area.

Tourism Department officials said the solar-powered boats were chosen considering the ecological importance of the place and the nearby Malabar Wildlife Sanctuary. They added that the eco-friendly service is cost-effective and would pose no water pollution threat.

“Sun cruise boats are catamarans for higher stability, safety and powering performance. The width of the boats is 3.2 m to enable their easy transportation and the length is 7 m and 9 m for the 10 and 20-passenger capacity boats respectively,” said officials with NavAlt that designed the cruise boats for Peruvannamuzhi. The Lithium-based energy storage system used in the boat is a highly efficient technology to ensure low maintenance and a long life span, they added.

A study report by the manufacturer also pointed out that a typical boat with a twin outboard petrol engine of 20 hp would require 12 litres of fuel per hour. For a four-hour operation, it would consume 58 litres per day. For the operation of such a boat a year, at least ₹14.5 lakh should be spent apart from the cost of other maintenance. The solar boats introduced at Peruvannamuzhi would be able to save this huge expense assuring eco-friendly service, the report said.

Irrigation Department officials gave clearance to the project after conducting several rounds of studies and trial services. They said the project was approved as part of a mega tourism development plan in the area implemented at a cost of ₹14 crore in different phases.