World’s first electric environment boat will clean up Oslo harbour

OSLO Harbour now has the world’s first electric environment boat Pelikan II which cost €2 million to build and will cruise around picking up floating rubbish with batteries which can last for up to 12 hours before needing to be recharged.

Oslofjord’s latest attraction, was christened with non-alcoholic champagne by godmother, Tora Elgsaas aged 14 from the children’s environmental protection organisation, Miljøagentene.

The teenager welcomed the boat as a response to her concern that there may be more plastic than fish in the sea in a few years.

“Adults are responsible to pass on fresh and healthy fjords to future generations. It is wonderful to see the Port of Oslo lead the way and demonstrate how environmentally friendly alternatives can be deployed” she said.

Pelikan II was built at the Grovfjord Mekaniske Verksted (shipyard) in Northern Norway and is so high tech that it can be operated by just one person with almost all of its functions controlled from the captain’s seat.