The first solar and hybrid trimarans for passenger transport in Boka Kotorska will be officially launched at 7 pm on Pine boardwalk in Tivat, as announced from the United Nations Development Program UNDP.
The minister of Sustainable Development and Tourism, Pavle Radulović, minister of Transport and Maritime Affairs, Osman Nurkovic, the representatives of UNDP Montenegro and the representatives of Bokelian municipalities will participate in the ceremony.
As highlighted, the solar vessel Elettra and hybrid Graciano are part of the Bella Boka project, and have been built by the same company, with the support of the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism, the Chamber of Commerce and the United Nations Development Program.
"The Bella Boka project - Sustainable water transport by solar trimarans in Boka Kotorska will establish public transport through the Boka Kotor Bay, which will positively influence the problem of congestion in road traffic, especially during the summer season, when due to traffic jams the ride from Kotor to Herceg Novi takes an hour and a half, up to two hours. By ships, the duration of this journey will be halved, " the UNDP pointed out.
The total value of this project, unique in the Mediterranean, is €4,259,000, while co-financing through the UNDP project for Low carbon tourism in Montenegro amounts to 150,000 euros.
"The project will also help reduce the level of harmful gas emissions, including CO2, and offer visitors an exciting and inspirational ecological experience, but also support the development of Montenegro as an environmentally friendly tourist destination. There are plans to build four more hybrid vessels, with a capacity of 60 people per ship and five fully electric vessels of 30 persons per ship," emphasized UNDP, concluding that this project revives the tradition of using waterways in Boka Kotorska for the transportation of citizens and tourists, which has been almost forgotten during the past decades.
