Kochi: On the eve of World Tourism Day, the Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL) and Muziris Heritage Project Ltd. have signed an MOU for using solar boats for the tours in the Kochi-Muziris heritage tourism circuit.
CIAL informed that it will operate a trial run along the west-coast canal using a 24-seat solar boat with an AC compartment. According to the CIAL, the canal was renovated by Kerala Waterways & Infrastructures Limited.
“The boat has 15 solar panels mounted upon its roof. The generated power is stored in the battery. The system can also draw power from conventional sources. The boat can be put into operation for 5 hours on a single charge. The boat is designed in such a way that, it can cruise through a water body having a minimum depth of 45 cm,” said a CIAL press release.
The CIAL has said that as the tourism sector was on a revival path amid the COVID-19 pandemic, it has decided to “try out a new revenue stream” by deploying its solar boat for the cruise activity until the canal project was completed.
As per the MOU signed by CIAL Managing Director S.Suhas IAS and Muziris Heritage Project Managing Director P.M Noushad, the boat is being used for the circuit tours on a revenue-sharing basis.