Alumarine to build hybrid passenger boat

The 28m inland waterways vessel, which is being built for France’s Communauté de Commune des 2 Vallées, will be built in aluminium and will carry passengers on the Oise River from the Cité des Bateliers to Compiegne and Noyon.

It will feature a hybrid propulsion system that combines an electric and diesel engines, which Alumarine says will give the French towns a modern and ecological way to develop transport and tourism on their waterways.

Alumarine says the new vessel’s interior design will also be versatile. The passenger deck has been designed so it can be converted into a restaurant or reception room. It will be capable of carrying 102 passengers in the ‘transport’ version and 60 in the ‘restaurant’ configuration.

The vessel is set to enter into service in 2015.