Russian yard floats out new electric river ferry

Russian shipyard Emperium has launched the first vessel in a new series of electric river ferries ordered by local shipowner Vodokhod.

Streina belongs to the Project Moskva 2.0 series of river ferries, which are being built as improved variants of an earlier series of diesel-powered vessels that operated in Russian inland waters during the Soviet era.

Upon completion, the ferry will have an LOA of 33.3 metres, a beam of eight metres, a draught of only 1.2 metres, a crew of 10, and space for up to 140 passengers on two decks. A 550kW battery pack will drive two 200kW azimuthing propellers to deliver a cruising speed of 6.5 knots.

A backup diesel generator will be used if the ferry cannot access charging stations for its batteries.

Because the Project Moskva 2.0 ferries will have slightly greater dimensions compared to their predecessors, the increased space will allow the incorporation of facilities such as a refreshments kiosk and a conference room with panoramic windows near the bow.

Emperium will build a total of six Project Moskva 2.0 ferries by 2026. All vessels in the series will be classed by the Russian Classification Society.