Rechnaya Shipyard has completed the first Project F2, or “Fontanka 2.0”, battery-electric passenger vessel for Vodokhod Passenger Port, the builder said on September 14.
Built at Rechnaya’s production facility in St Petersburg, the vessel is intended for sightseeing services on Russia’s inland waterways. Construction was carried out under the technical supervision of the Baltic branch of the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RS).
The vessel carries the class notation KM★ IN Р 1,2. Russia’s Ministry of Transport said RS has also classified and surveyed inland waterway vessels since 2025.
The F2 uses standardized battery modules that can be exchanged at charging stations along its operating routes. The arrangement allows depleted modules to be removed and replaced rather than keeping the vessel alongside for the full charging period.
Rechnaya and earlier launch reports said the electric propulsion system reduces environmental impact compared with conventional propulsion. No battery capacity, range or charging time was disclosed.
The vessel was launched in St Petersburg on July 27. Its low vertical profile is designed for operation beneath the city’s low bridges, allowing it to serve excursion routes across St Petersburg’s rivers and canals.
Vodokhod Passenger Port data published at the time of launch gave the vessel’s length as 20 metres, its beam as 5.3 metres and its maximum speed as 12 km/h. The operator’s figures listed capacity at up to 70 passengers.
A separate launch report placed capacity at up to 80 people, but no reason was given for the difference. The F2 project was developed by electric vessel builder Emperium, that report said, with sliding windows fitted around the open deck for passenger comfort.
The F2 is the lead ship of the project. Vodokhod Passenger Port ordered it for passenger transport and excursion voyages, with its dimensions and battery arrangement tailored to the operating limits of St Petersburg’s urban waterways.
