Circle Line to go Solar
Last year, Circle Line unveiled a state-of-the-art solar and wind powered hybrid electric ferry named Miss Statue of that it predicts will join their Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island fleet and will bring a green revolution to waterborne transportation in .
Circle Line, the New York City ferry operator that provides millions of visitors with trips to the both the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island each year, unveiled a model of the solar and wind powered hybrid vessel, which uses a solar sail covered in solar panels to collect energy from both the sun and wind and emits almost no noise, vibration or fumes.
The solar vessel is being constructed in partnership with 's Solar Sailor Holdings, Ltd. The vessel is like a hybrid car that you can "plug in" and so has the ability to recharge its batteries over night. Like the hybrid car when high speeds are required it uses fossil fuels in an efficient way.
It will not only reduce water pollution, but will reduce overall air emissions and give zero emissions at slow speeds and at the wharf.
The vessel will be able to achieve a maximum speed of 13 knots, roughly the same speed of many of Circle Line's current ferries, and will be able to seat as many as 600 passengers.
Solar Sailor Holdings Ltd (SSHL) is an Australian unlisted public Company founded in 1999 with over 130 shareholders. It owns three 100 percent owned subsidiaries: Advanced Technology Watercraft Pty Ltd (ATW), an engineering company; Solar Sailor Pty Ltd (SSPL), a Research and Development Company; and Olympia Pty Ltd, which owns the Sydney Solar Ferry operated by Captain Cook Cruises.
In 2004, Solar Sailor founded a US owned US subsidiary in Virginia, UOV LLC, for the sole purpose of commercializing unmanned ocean vehicles using the SS 'hybrid marine power' (HMP) and 'solar wing' technology. The Chairman of SSHL is Hon. Bob Hawke, former Prime Minister of Australia, and its CEO is Dr. Robert Dane, founder and former NSW Green Ambassador. For more information visit www.solarsailor.com .
