VESSEL REVIEW | French operator introduces electric river tour boat

French vessel operator Batorama has acquired the first unit in a new series of seven all-electric sightseeing boats designed for inland waters.

Transmetal Industrie is manufacturing the new vessels to a design by compatriot naval architecture firm Ship-ST that complies with Bureau Veritas class requirements. This is in fulfillment of a tender issued by Batorama for new zero-emission vessels to replace the conventionally-powered vessels in the company's existing fleet. The first vessel has already been delivered while the remaining six are scheduled for hand-over to the owner by 2028.

Like its future sisters, the lead vessel has an aluminium hull, a length of 25 metres, a beam of five metres, a 700kWh lithium iron phosphate battery, seating for 135 passengers in a main cabin, and seating for another 10 people in an outer deck area. The interiors also ensure access for passengers with limited mobility while the vessel itself was designed with as low a draught as possible to allow passage underneath bridges in Strasbourg, Batorama's main area of operations.

As Strasbourg itself experiences extreme hot and cold temperatures each year, the boat was designed with retractable windows to ensure adequate ventilation during the summer and help keep the interior warm during the winter while using the onboard heating and air conditioning systems only sparingly. This feature therefore helps minimise the vessel's overall energy consumption.

The battery bank will provide up to 16 hours of autonomy when fully charged and even under severe environmental conditions. The hull has meanwhile been optimised by CFD simulations to achieve a minimum resistance when navigating in the narrow and shallow waters around Strasbourg.

The vessel is equipped with two independent port and starboard battery systems. The two battery systems are installed in a dedicated room and come equipped with a battery management system that helps minimise the risk of failure. In the event of excess heat leading to thermal runaway, the installed security system makes it possible for the crew to quickly detect and address any battery-related issues.

Passengers will also have access to personal touchscreens integrated into the seatbacks. In addition to delivering multimedia tour content, the touchscreens can also show live video feeds from cameras positioned at the front and the rear of the vessel, providing passengers with unobstructed views ahead and behind while underway.

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