iCat from Zagreb and Riva from Šibenik will develop environmentally friendly vessels.
The government recently have approval to the Mljet National Park to sign a contract worth 9.98 million kuna for the construction of three tourist electric boats, which will help transport passengers on the lakes on the island of Mljet. The boats will be built by the iCat company from Zagreb, in partnership with the Riva company from Šibenik. The boats will not emit any gases harmful to the environment, reports Večernji List on September 18, 2016.
According to Tomislav Uroda, the director and co-owner of iCat, the first boat will be delivered within one year, and the next two the following year. “Boats are intended primarily for navigation in protected waters. They are composite catamarans with integrated solar roof. The 7.5 kW solar power-plant provides range of eight hours during the summer months”, says Uroda. In addition, the boats will also have a built-in battery that will provide additional range of more than seven hours of sailing per day. They will be able to accommodate 54 passengers.
Director of the Mljet National Park Marta Sršen Stražičić says that the electric boats are another proof of their wish to make the national park, and the entire island of Mljet, an area with minimal CO2 emissions. Therefore, they already use electric and hybrid cars, and two electric tourist trains.
Uroda hopes that such boats will spread to all parts of the Adriatic coast, in order to better connect islands with the mainland and improve the quality of life. In cooperation with the Town of Šibenik, they have already developed a model of new passenger shipping lines. Fast passenger boats would link Šibenik with its islands and would sail every hour. He hopes that the project will become a reality in Split as well, which is surrounded by numerous islands, and in Dubrovnik. Since their business operations are expanding, the company plans to increase the number of employees and to open production facilities in Zagreb.
“We can grow organically, but if we were to continue to expand and move our production to Zagreb, then we would need additional 4 to 5 million euros. In any case, our goal is not a rapid, but a controlled growth of our business”, concludes Uroda.
