VESSEL REVIEW | Kanaklata Barua – Hybrid-electric catamaran river ferry for West Bengal, India

The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) has placed a new hybrid-electric passenger catamaran ferry into service in the eastern state of West Bengal.

The authority said on September 29 that Kanaklata Barua had begun carrying passengers between the cities of Haldia and Nandigram, a service it identified with National Waterway-1.

The 50-passenger vessel is the second in a series of six aluminium catamaran ferries that Cochin Shipyard’s (CSL) wholly owned subsidiary Hooghly Cochin Shipyard (HCSL) is building for IWAI at its Nazirgunge facility in Howrah. The yard completed conducting river trials in early January, and the vessel was launched in Kolkata later that same month.

The Indian Register of Shipping has classed Kanaklata Barua with the hull notation "+ IWL, ZONE 2, PASSENGER VESSEL" and the machinery notation "+ IY, BATTERY PROP". The second notation applies where batteries provide propulsion power. The vessel is registered in Patna.

Durable aluminium and FRP construction coupled with comfortable interiors

Named after an Indian independence activist, Kanaklata Barua has an LOA of 24.8 metres (81.4 feet), a moulded beam of 6.4 metres (21 feet), a moulded depth of 1.7 metres (5.6 feet) and a maximum draught of only 0.896 metres (2.94 feet), allowing for safe navigation in rivers. Her gross tonnage is 74, her deadweight is 7.8, and her lightship displacement is 39.3 tonnes.

In size and capacity, the new IWAI catamaran matches Guh and Nishadraj, two earlier 50-seat hybrid-electric catamarans that CSL built for IWAI. Those vessels were dedicated in February 2024 for service at Ayodhya and Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh State.

Kanaklata Barua’s single-deck hull is longitudinally framed and divided by five bulkheads, with the machinery located aft. The series specification called for a vacuum-infused FRP superstructure with a gelcoat finish.

The passenger cabin and wheelhouse are cooled by four two-ton, split AC units. The wheelhouse has been placed well forward to ensure unobstructed improved forward visibility from the helm station. The cabin noise is limited to 60 dB(A).

Propulsion arrangement suitable for a range of operating modes

The specified outfit also includes a two-tier crew bunk, a pantry, toilets served by a biodigester, and a sewage holding tank. Grade 316L stainless steel has been used for the door fittings and the hand grabs.

The electric propulsion motors draw power from a lithium titanium oxide battery pack, which can be recharged from the shore grid while the vessel is berthed. Marine Electricals (India) supplied the batteries and battery management system, the propulsion motors, the drives and propulsion control system, the vessel management system and the onboard DC fast charging system.

A four-stroke diesel generator can help extend the vessel’s range. It is rated for at least 70 kW continuous output at 415 V AC and 50 Hz and meets IMO Tier II emissions standards. The generator alone can drive the vessel at seven knots, and it can run in parallel with the batteries at higher speeds.

HCSL said the design can, "operate in a ‘zero-emission’ fully electric mode for urban river mobility and a hybrid mode for extended endurance."