Solar powered ferries in Hong Kong

Folks living in Hong Kong will soon receive a change in what has been the tradition for a long time now – the island will be getting a quartet of solar-powered ferries that will sail routes across Hong Kong’s harbor from November onwards, doing its bit to reduce emissions of global-warming gases. The ferries are able to operate mainly on solar energy on a typically sunny day, but don’t worry if the skies are overcast – they come with an engine that can run on liquid petroleum gas just in case. The technology used will see carbon-dioxide output on a typical urban ferry route cut by half. In addition, the use of hybrid marine power could help save ferry operators up to $6 million in fuel costs over a typical 15-year lifespan.

Edwin Kee