GRSE delivers next-gen electric ferry in West Bengal

Indian shipbuilder Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) has handed over a newbuild battery-powered electric ferry to the government of West Bengal.

The ferry named Dheu was delivered to the Transport Department on January 9, 2025, a year after its launch.

The newbuilding has an aluminum hull and an FRP superstructure. The catamaran ferry can accommodate up to 150 persons on board.

Dheu is a twin-hulled vessel equipped with a 246 kW capacity liquid-cooled battery system which can be charged from a shore-based source or through deck-mounted solar panels that generate 18 kW per hour.

In addition, the vessel incorporates an efficient energy management system, which maximizes the use of solar power to achieve speeds of up to 10 knots through two 50 kW electric propulsion motors.

As disclosed previously, the ferry has been built by GRSE in compliance with the latest classification society rules of Indian Register of Shipping (IRS).

The 24-meter-long electric ferry is the first such vessel built by GRSE. It is also the first electric ferry to be operated by the Transport Department of the Government of West Bengal as part of a program to replace ageing diesel-engine operated ferries along the stretch of the Ganga/ Bhagirathi in West Bengal, with green vessels.

“Not only will these new vessels cause lower emissions, they will also reduce pollution of the river caused by the old diesel generators used to run conventional ferries. With efforts on to develop India’s waterways as a mode of transport, both for passengers and goods under Maritime India Vision-2030, ‘Dheu’ will provide an alternative to conventional vessels that are presently in use,” GRSE stated.

The shipbuilder noted it had also received an order from the West Bengal’s government for 13 hybrid ferries that will run both on electric and diesel propulsion.

In related news, GRSE and IRS signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) last year to jointly work on the development of autonomous and green energy vessels.