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Lake Lugano to welcome first zero-emissions ship

Posted: 25 August 2021 | | No comments yet

Lake Lugano in Switzerland will welcome its first zero-emissions ship in September this year, as the Società di Navigazione del Lago di Lugano (SNL) shipping company looks to make shipping on the lake more sustainable.

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There will soon be a zero-emissions way to cross the stunning Lake Lugano

Taking a passenger ship across the beautiful Lake Lugano in Switzerland is already a thoroughly pleasant experience. But it could soon be one that is carbon-free too, as one of the lake’s principal shipping companies announced a sustainable way to cross the Swiss lake.

Exclusively built, designed, and engineered in Ticino Canton in southern Switzerland, the Società di Navigazione del Lago di Lugano (SNL) shipping company will unveil its first zero-emissions electric passenger ship, on Lake of Lugano on September 14, 2021.

Its new daily passenger ships were created by a futuristic engineering project – the Venti35 Project – to redesign a ship that had been running since 1931.  They will be entirely powered by electricity and feature a fast-charging system. They will also result in the first major reduction in CO2 emissions related to lake navigation in Switzerland

Part of the project was to introduce a network of services to promote the green economy of the lake, which has also resulted in a new training and research facility being created.

Shipping is a vital element of Swiss tourism and leisure travel – with approximately 150 boats, transporting 13 million passengers on Swiss lakes every year. Lake Lugano is no different, with several lakeside communities     depending on the SNL service as a mode of transport, alongside the tourists that flock to the water’s shores each year.

This project is therefore an important step for both SNL and Switzerland and will, according to SNL,  create a significant milestone in boating quality standards on the lake as well as bolstering the “Made in Ticino” brand.

After launching the project, SNL aims to expand this electrification and to support other interested lakes and shipping companies with adding a recharging infrastructure and carbon-neutral boats to their fleets.

All of this will be part of a move to ensure that the sailing experience is environmentally friendly and emission-free, not only for the Canton of Ticino, but throughout the whole of Switzerland.