The Electric Boat & Ship Association Greece (EBA Greece) announced that the first electric ferry boat in Greece is expected to launch in the near future, serving the Aigio – Agios Nikolaos (Doridos) route in the Gulf of Corinth, which has stopped operating since 2011.
The first electric boat project in Greece will be a collaboration between the municipalities of Aigio and Agios Nikolaos Doridos in cooperation with several universities and Norwegian classification society DNV GL.
The cost of the electric ship, that will come from conversion of a conventional ship, is estimated at EUR 4 to 5 million. The cost of the program is partly funded by EU funds.
The installation includes a hybrid power system with the simultaneous coexistence of photovoltaic, wave and wind to achieve the smallest possible effect.
The system will be installed in the new but closed port of Aigio, in North Peloponnese, which has never worked since its construction, so it will be upgraded both functionally and constructively.
It is noted that the surplus electricity will be provided free of charge to the residents of the two municipalities of Seaside and Dorida, to people who are in financial distress and who belong to vulnerable social groups.
As such, the program will result to zero emissions for better air quality, as well as cheaper tickets for travelers, as the new environmental regulations are expected to rise the cost for owners and passengers.
Currently, Greek law does not allow the operation of large electric boats, but relevant legislation is expected to pass within the next month.
Electric vessels are making headlines in the last years as an alternative option for zero emission operations, mostly in short sea shipping, in light of a wave of stringent environmental regulations.
Earlier in 2019, EU awarded 5 million euros to the European innovation project Flagships, to support construction of two commercially operated zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell vessels, one in Lyon, France and one in Stavanger, Norway.
