Douro Azul to Build First Fully Electric River Vessel

Sep 7, 2017 | 0

Douro Azul

As reported in Seatrade Cruise News yesterday, the Portugal-based river line Douro Azul has just announced it’s building the world’s first river cruise vessel using completely electric propulsion. The 126-passenger vessel is slated for a March 2019 delivery by the Portuguese shipyard West Sea.

Mário Ferreira, president & CEO of Mystic Invest and its subsidiary, Douro Azul, told a river cruise conference at Seatrade Europe in Hamburg this week that improved battery technology — toward smaller, less expensive units — has now made the realisation of an electrically-driven river vessel possible. During its daily stops along Portugal’s Douro River, the boat will be connected to the shoreside electrical supply for battery recharging.

The news is a welcome step forward in the river cruise industry’s sustainability efforts. The majority of experts are in agreement that electric propulsion is the most obvious and most efficient path ahead.

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Ted & Heidi are long-time travel writers with a penchant for small ship cruising. Between them they've traveled all over the world aboard hundreds and hundreds of small cruise ships of all kinds, from river boats to expedition vessels and sailing ships.

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HEIDI SARNA

I'm up to 78 countries and 110+ cruises worldwide, and it's the small ship journeys that I love writing about most. And so QuirkyCruise.com was born, an excellent research tool for planning your own unforgettable small ship trip.

THEODORE W. SCULL

I have traveled between all continents by sea and cruised along three dozen rivers. Ships and travel are in my blood, and so is writing. My journeys have translated into many books and many hundreds of articles.

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I am happiest near water, over water or better still on a conveyance moving through water. When my brother Sandy and I were deemed old enough, mother took us to Europe by ship.

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