Lake Biel, at the foot of the Jura vineyards, is home to one of the world’s pioneering big solar ships. MobiCat entered regular service with the Bielersee-Schifffahrts-Gesellschaft (BSG) on 5 July 2001, and at the time it was described as the largest solar-powered ship in the world.
The catamaran is 33 m long and 11 m wide, weighs about 115 t empty and carries up to 150 passengers. Its roof is a 180 m² solar array with about 20 kW peak. Two electric motors drive it at a cruising speed of about 14 km/h (18 km/h max.), fed by two large battery banks of about 4 tonnes each.
It was one of the first large-scale solar passenger ships used for everyday commercial trips on inland waters. Over the years it has carried tens of thousands of passengers and covered tens of thousands of kilometres, all on solar power.
Technical data
| Operator | Bielersee-Schifffahrts-Gesellschaft (BSG), Lake Biel (CH) |
|---|---|
| In service | Since 5 July 2001 |
| Size | 33 × 11 m, ~115 t empty |
| Solar | 180 m², ~20 kWp |
| Batteries | 2 banks, ~4 t each |
| Speed | ~14 km/h cruising, 18 km/h max. |
| Passengers | Up to 150 |
Photo (near Ligerz): Bielersee Schifffahrtsgesellschaft AG / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Sources: swissinfo · Wikipedia: List of solar-powered boats · dewiki: MobiCat