Solar-powered e-ferry to operate on Pasig River starting November

A solar-powered ferry will be added to the fleet of the Pasig River Ferry Service starting next month. 

According to the latest feature of “Game Changer” on “24 Oras” on Friday, the M/B Dalaray is the first locally developed electric passenger ferry in the country. 

“Ang Department of Science and Technology ay may programa na tinatawag na e-mobility program, na mag-develop tayo ng electric vehicles. Ang fuel siyempre masama sa ating climate dahil nga global warming,” said DOST Secretary Renato Solidum Jr. 

(The Department of Science and Technology has a program called the e-mobility program, which is [intended] for us to develop electric vehicles. Fuel, of course, is bad for our climate because of global warming.) 

The e-ferry, which can carry up to 40 passengers, was funded by the DOST and developed by the University of the Philippines Diliman’s Electrical and Electronics Engineering Institute. 

“Compared to our conventional ferry, this is an all-electric battery, an electric passenger ferry. Most especially an electric ferry has the benefit of being quiet,” said project leader Lew Andrew Tria. 

Solar panels were installed on the ferry’s roof that operate the accessories and fixtures. 

“In a way, it has the indirect effect of extending the range of the battery. So even the air conditioning, the fans, the lighting, the sensors, and the signaling systems of the ferry are all powered through solar,” said Tria. 

The cost of operating a solar-powered boat is only P45 per kilometer, as opposed to P135 per kilometer for a conventional ferry. — Vince Angelo Ferreras/VBL, GMA Integrated News