This Balinese Traditional Fishing Boat Runs on Solar Power

Julien Mélot, a Belgium engineer, is transforming traditional fishing boats to run on solar power.

“The philosophy behind was to say, boat builders have been building those boats for centuries. They know exactly what works here, so we embrace that old boat building tradition and we merge it with the highest renewable energy technology”, Julien tells us.

Their first boat has sailed over 2,000 km around Indonesia without using a single drop of gas.

Azura Marine, Julien’s company, is sharing this technology with the local community. The company is also currently designing and building a new line of high-efficiency catamarans that would be ideal for dive centres operating in marine parks and national reserves. These catamarans would also be well suited for ferry transportation and yatching. 

Azura Marine received the Solar Impulse Efficient Solution accreditation in March 2019 for its designs.

One of their most successful designs include the Pakman, a unique plastic and waste removal vessel that enables a range of operations including general marina, harbour or coastal maintenance. On its deck, Azura Marine proposes a waste removal platform. The vessel includes a conveyor scoop for collecting surface debris which can then be sorted and compacted into storage bins.

What’s most special about this design is that it does not consume any fossil fuels, meaning no fuel costs and no environmental damage. In turn making the vessel fully sustainable.

Julien says it took him more than 12 years of research and development, to convert his first vessel for pure solar power use.​ The success of the solar and battery technology enabled the further research and development as the basis for all future production.

“It is definitely the next class of boats that will allow us to continue faring the world without destroying it”, concludes Julien in his interview.

The Pakman 40 (a clean up vessel that runs on solar power)