A partnership composed of Thai energy company Banpu Next and the Marine Department of the country's Ministry of Transport will soon begin trial sailings of a new zero-emission catamaran ferry.
Designed by local naval architecture firm Albatross Marine Design, the 18-metre, battery-powered vessel will operate in the waters of the resort island of Phuket as part of the trials.
The Marine Department expects that over 200 additional similar vessels will be put into service within the next four years. This number will also include a batch of solar-powered vessels that are scheduled to begin operational sailing by 2021.
