GRSE hands over West Bengal's 1st Green Ferry 'Dheu' to Transport Department

New Delhi: In a landmark development for green maritime technology, Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) has handed over West Bengal’s first Next Generation Zero-Emission Electric Ferry, ‘Dheu’, to the state’s Transport Department on January 9. The ceremonial handover, held at Babughat, Kolkata, was graced by the Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee.

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The day’s events began with a flagging-off ceremony at GRSE’s Main Works Unit, led by GRSE’s Chairman and Managing Director, Cmde PR Hari, IN (Retd). Speaking on the occasion, Cmde Hari lauded the shipyard’s achievement in developing the largest and fastest fully electric ferry in India. “Team GRSE is proud to have designed and built this state-of-the-art vessel, contributing to our nation’s ‘Net-Zero’ emission goals. ‘Dheu’ signifies a new era in sustainable transport along the Hooghly River,” he said.

‘Dheu’ or Wave, as the Ferry has been named, is the first such vessel to be built by GRSE. It will also be the first such ferry to be operated by the Transport Department, Government of West Bengal. ‘Dheu’ will be the start of a revolution that will see the replacement of 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.

‘Dheu’ is 24 meters long and powered by a 246 Kilowatt per hour (kWh) liquid-cooled Energy Storage Solution. It is ergonomically designed to carry 150 passengers in air-conditioned comfort, with no noise or engine vibrations. She has twin screw propellers that allow greater manoeuvrability and a Catamaran Aluminum hull, enabling her to achieve a top speed of 10 knots. The solar panels on her exterior augment power supply from the batteries.

The Ferry has been built by GRSE in compliance with the latest classification society rules of Indian Register of Shipping (IRS) related to passenger safety. She has also undergone necessary harbour and afloat trials. The Government of West Bengal has also placed an order for 13 hybrid ferries from GRSE that will run both on electric and diesel propulsion.

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