Altaussee – Austria’s First Solar Passenger Ship

The solar ship Altaussee on the Altausseer See below the Trisselwand mountain

Some places are simply too beautiful for a diesel engine. The Altausseer See in the Styrian Salzkammergut is one of them: a clear alpine lake under the steep Trisselwand. Since 2011 visitors can cross it on the first solar passenger ship in Austria, the “Altaussee“, operated by Stern & Hafferl.

The ship at its landing stage in Altaussee. Photo: Funke / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

The ship is 25 m long and 4.2 m wide and carries up to 100 people: 50 seats in the saloon and 30 on the open deck. About 35 m² of solar modules on the roof produce electricity for the electric motors; batteries store the energy so the ship can also run on cloudy days. It is barrier-free, with an accessible toilet on board. According to the operator, the solar operation saves about 17 tonnes of CO₂ per year.

Under the mountains of the Ausseerland. Photo: Funke / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

A fun fact: in 2015 the solar ship served as the director’s platform during the filming of the James Bond film “Spectre” at the lake. Today it is a popular way to see the Ausseerland, a region well suited to e-bike tours, and it reminds us that solar boats work in the Alps too. Further west you’ll find the Swiss solar boats MobiCat on Lake Biel and the solar shuttles in the Solifleur story.

Technical data

Operator	Stern & Hafferl Verkehr (Austria)
In service	2011, first solar passenger ship in Austria
Size	25 × 4.2 m
Capacity	Up to 100 people (50 in the saloon, 30 on deck)
Solar	~35 m² of modules + battery storage
CO₂ saving	~17 t per year (operator figure)
Access	Barrier-free, accessible toilet