Solar Boats: A New Paradigm to Respectfully Sail the Seas

Many Asian countries rely heavily on the ocean as a principal source of income, mainly from fishing and tourism. While clean mobility has the spotlight on land, little has been done to render marine transportation cleaner and more cost-effective for low-income fishermen or small business owners. Millions of small boats roam the Asian seas most often propelled by outdated engines with high fuel consumption and environmental impact. This presentation explores pragmatic and efficient eco-alternatives to polluting boats, leveraging on the ever more efficient renewable energy technologies. It introduces Azura Marine's first solar-powered sampan "Surya Namaskar" (traditional Indonesian boat) launched in Bali, Indonesia in 2017, which sails thousands of miles without any fuel, to prove that traditional boats can be converted into clean vessels using solar energy and electric propulsion.