Brussels: Solar-powered electric boats will soon ply the Singapore River, with two of 10 such vessels going into service next month. Manufactured by local maritime start-up Pyxis, these new boats named Pyxis R will replace half of river cruise operator WaterB's fleet of 20 boats by the end of 2025.
According to Lao News Agency, Pyxis founder and chief executive Tommy Phun stated that the remaining eight solar-powered boats will be delivered one by one 'almost every other month' for the rest of the year. He added that the solar panels on each river boat can generate about 22 kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity per day, and the daily combined electricity generated by 10 boats' solar panels will be sufficient to power 20 social housing flats for a day.
Phun noted that river boats are mostly deployed in the evenings and at night, allowing these vessels to harvest the sun's energy when they are on standby in the afternoon. Additionally, the Pyxis R ferries feature vehicle-to-grid technology, a system which allows vessels to return excess renewable energy to the grid.
In March 2024, Pyxis launched a series of electric workboats to ferry workers between Marina South Pier and nearby anchorages.