KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 1): A Yinson Holdings Bhd (KL:YINSON) unit and Langkawi Port Sdn Bhd (LPSB) signed a memorandum of understanding on Thursday to set up Malaysia’s first commercial fully electric passenger ferry service between Langkawi and Kuala Perlis.
Two 100-passenger capacity vessels will begin sea trials in January ahead of full deployment in May, in time for the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (Lima), a biennial trade show of maritime and aerial military assets.
The MoU was signed between marineEV, the marine electrification business of Yinson green technology unit Yinson GreenTech (YGT), and LPSB, which runs the ferry terminal on Langkawi.
The collaboration will see YGT providing the vessels under a charter arrangement, LPSB operating the service, and Tenaga Nasional Bhd developing the power and charging infrastructure.
“This project will complement existing ferry operators (in Langkawi). It will not take away [their business], but complement them, and we will increase the number of trips between Langkawi and Kuala Perlis,” Yinson chief of staff Liaw Thong Jung said at a press conference after the MoU signing.
The current plan is to run six trips a day. Fares have not been announced but are expected to be at a premium, said LPSB general manager Muhd Nasir Abdul Aziz added.
Liaw said it will take an hour to fully charge each vessel using fast chargers. He did not disclose the investment amount but said the project would be internally funded.
He added that electric ferries would be cheaper to maintain than internal combustion engine vessels .
WATCH: Yinson unit, Langkawi Port ink MoU for electric ferry service
The MoU establishes a framework for cooperation, with the parties still required to work through the technical, operational, regulatory and commercial requirements before implementation.
The ferry, known as Hydroferry, will expand marinEV's electric vessel portfolio beyond its Hydromover cargo vessel and Hydroglyder crew-transfer platforms. Hydromover has progressed from development and trials to commercial operations in Singapore.
The signing ceremony was witnessed by Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan and Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor.