Learning from the failed government-backed solar ferry project, a group of four maritime and renewable energy veterans has successfully launched Goa’s first privately built solar-electric catamaran, marking a major stride toward sustainable inland water transport.
The vessel, named MV LRAJ Green, has been developed by LRAJ Green Solutions Pvt Ltd, a company co-founded by Capt Ruben Fernandes, Larson D’Sa, Capt Jerson Da Silva, and Alan Fernandes. Drawing on decades of combined expertise in commercial shipping and solar technology, the team has designed a catamaran specifically tailored to Goa’s unique tidal and riverine conditions, a challenge that left a previous state-run ferry, St Pedro, idle and unviable.
“We were supposed to operate the St Pedro, but it had serious design mismatches for Goan waterways,” said Larson D’Sa. “Those early failures became our biggest lessons.”
Unlike St Pedro, which can barely operate for an hour on a full charge, the MV LRAJ Green clocks eight hours of continuous cruising at 6 knots, thanks to its improved hull design, efficient propeller geometry, and dual charging system, which utilizes solar energy during the day and seamless grid charging when needed.
The ferry is currently being deployed for crocodile watching, bird watching, and dolphin tours, where its whisper-quiet electric propulsion lets it approach wildlife without disturbance.
Economically, the catamaran outshines its fossil-fuel counterparts. A conventional diesel-powered ferry would incur annual fuel costs of over ₹2.5 crore and emit nearly 800 tonnes of CO₂. In contrast, MV LRAJ Green runs on just ₹25 lakh worth of clean energy and slashes emissions by over 98%, opening the door to carbon credit revenues of ₹5–6 lakh annually.
Having sourced innovations from boat designers in Dubai, maritime engineers in Europe, and battery technology from China, the team believes their model can scale and possibly reshape how India views river transport.
“You can’t build for Goa with a cookie-cutter approach. This catamaran is proof that smart design and local adaptation are everything,” said D’Sa.
With operational success already underway, LRAJ Green Solutions is positioning itself as a key player in India’s clean mobility future and perhaps setting a blueprint for public-private collaboration in sustainable transport.
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