Mário Ferreira, President and CEO of Mystic Invest, has revealed its subsidiary, Douro Azul, plans to take delivery of the world's first fully electric river vessel for deployment on the Douro River by March 2019.
"The improvement in battery technology – toward smaller, less expensive units – has now made the realisation of an electrically driven river vessel possible," commented Ferreira. The ship will carry 126 passengers and 40 crew.
It is tailored for zero-emission operations on Portugal's Douro and will be connected to shoreside electrical supply during its stops along the river for battery recharging. Ferreira added that local builder West Sea would handle construction.
