ASEAN BUSINESS Thailand's new e-ferry service a step towards greener transport Six-boat service in Bangkok is free until Feb 14; govt aims to have transport system of 30% electric vehicles by 2035 FRI, DEC 25, 2020 - 5:50 AM PETER [email protected] The service on the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok is run by Energy Absolute, which is scheduled to open Thailand's first lithium-ion battery factory in the first quarter of 2021. PHOTO: ENERGY ABSOLUTE Bangkok ENERGY Absolute - which is scheduled to open Thailand's first lithium-ion battery factory in the first quarter of 2021 - has launched an electric ferry service on the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok, in line with the government's goal of reducing air pollution in the capital and carbon emissions nationwide. Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha presided over a trial run of the private- sector electric passenger boat service on Tuesday. The six-boat fleet, plying a route from Taksin Bridge and Rama V Bridge, will be free to the public until Feb 14 next year. "This is a first step towards reducing pollution by using electric boats but in the future we will have more electric trains, electric cars, taxis, motorcycles and buses," Mr Prayut said at the launch ceremony. Stay updated with BT newsletters SIGN UP By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions. Your feedback is important to us Tell us what you think. Email us at [email protected] –– ADVERTISEMENT –– Under the government's 20-year plan, Thailand's transport system will comprise 30 per cent electric vehicles by 2035, cutting carbon emissions and saving on energy imports. Energy Absolute (EA) estimates that the e-ferry service, which plans to comprise 28 vessels by the first quarter of 2021, will save the country some 4.73 million litres of diesel fuel a year and reduce greenhouse gases by nearly 13,000 tonnes a year. "That estimate is based on savings from our own fleet, once fully operational," said EA's deputy CEO Amorn Saphaweekul. EA originally wanted to sell its e-boats or set up a joint venture with the century- old Chao Phraya Express Boat Co, which currently dominates river traffic. Chao Phraya Express Boat currently operates 92 vessels operating a commuter service and various tourist boats, catering to surrounding five-star hotels and tourist attractions such as the IconSiam shopping mall and Asiatique, both located along the Chao Phraya. "We tried to talk to Chao Phraya Express Boat but they didn't want to invest to change from the traditional boat to the e-ferry," Mr Amorn told The Business Times in an interview on Wednesday. EA then set up a joint venture with the Chao Phraya River Line Company, which operates about eight diesel-engine boats on the river, and is led by Parinya Ruckwatin, a former managing director of Chao Phraya Express. Chao Phraya Express chairperson Supapan Pichaiarongsongkram said the company was not interested in the electric boats partly because of the hefty price - US$1 million per vessel - and because she was unsure the boats would prove practical. The EA boats are air-conditioned, can seat up to 250 passengers and travel at a maximum speed of 33km an hour. Chao Phraya Express' diesel-powered boats cost about half the EA boat's price, carry about 50 passengers and travel about 40kmh. Ms Supapan said more than half her passengers in recent years have been foreign tourists, a market that has dried up during the Covid-19 pandemic. EA, a listed company on the Stock Exchange of Thailand, currently operates a bio-diesel plant and several solar farms, which is its main source of revenues. The company won Board of Investment tax incentives to invest in a lithium-ion battery cell factory in Chachoengsao province at an estimated cost of 3 billion baht (S$132.2 million), using technology from Taiwan's Amita Technology Company, which EA recently bought out. The factory is scheduled to open in late February, or early March, Mr Amorn said. The six electric boats currently plying the Chao Phraya are using 800-kilowatt- hour lithium-ion batteries imported from Amita. Mr Amorn acknowledged that it will be difficult for EA to make a profit from the e- ferry service, even if it operates at full capacity. "It is like a CSR (corporate social responsibility) project," he said. "Bangkok is a very developed city but two modes of city transport are very outdated. The bus system and the boat service, so we wanted to change something for society." He acknowledged that the e-ferry service would also prove a good marketing ploy for its lithium-ion technology. "We have installed an 800 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery on our boats which we can charge in only 15 minutes." A fully-charged battery can travel a distance of about 80km. "This technology is unique and it is our strength to compete with other players in the market," he said. "If we succeed, I think we can talk to other factories (about) making electric cars and electric buses, and offer them this solution." • ASEAN • THAILAND • ELECTRIC VEHICLES • EMISSIONS .