Metallica Marine Consultancy, Fabrication and Services has been inspired by the conventional bangka’s design, and hopes to provide a low-carbon alternative to the conventional bangka, by generating electrical energy through power of waves interacting with the outriggers on either side of the vessel. The proposed ship is a hybrid model, using internal combustion engines for initial propulsion before switching to wave energy while cruising in open waters.

The hybrid trimaran has a wave energy converter in the form of hydraulic pumps integrated into its outriggers. As the pumps move through the waves, they harvest kinetic energy into electrical energy, which will then be fed into a generator that will supply electricity to the ship. The electricity then provides propulsion via a motor. The more waves the trimaran encounters, the more power it can produce from those waves.

Construction of the hybrid trimaran started in 2018 and the team is aiming to finish building the ship by the end of 2020, with a three-month sea trial scheduled for the first quarter of 2021. The vessel is expected to be capable of carrying 100 passengers, four vans, and 15 motorcycles.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200718-the-revolutionary-electric-boat-powered-by-the-ocean