A Solar-Powered Catamaran for Africa’s Great Lakes

The solar-powered catamaran project began far from home, in Rwanda. A local company approached us with a clear goal: to design a vessel that could improve daily life around the African Great Lakes. These include Lake Malawi, Lake Victoria, Lake Tanganyika, and Lake Kivu.

Together, these lakes cover more than 133,000 km² and host over 2,000 species. More importantly, they support the livelihoods of millions of people. According to the African Great Lakes Initiative (AGLI), fishing is the primary source of income. It employs over 690,000 people and produces more than one billion fish annually. In addition, the lakes are vital for transport, trade, and access to essential services.

The Challenge: Safety, Reliability, and Sustainability

However, conditions on these vast lakes are unpredictable. Most local boats are fragile and poorly equipped. As a result, they struggle in rough weather. Furthermore, weak communication infrastructure increases the risk even more.

Sadly, this combination leads to tragic accidents. On Lake Victoria alone, around 5,000 lives are lost every year. Therefore, our mission was clear. We needed to design a vessel that is affordable, reliable, and emission-free. At the same time, it had to be strong enough to withstand extreme lake conditions.

Technical Specifications of the Catamaran

The final result is a six-meter solar-powered catamaran with a payload capacity of one ton. It cruises at speeds between 6 and 12 knots, with a range of approximately 40 kilometers.

The vessel is built from high-density polyethylene (HDPE). This material was chosen for its excellent strength-to-weight ratio and high impact resistance. Structurally, the catamaran consists of two main parts:

• the hull, and

• the roof, which carries the solar panels.

Clean Energy and Power System

Power is supplied by a 6–10 kW brushless DC motor. This motor is driven by a 48 V monocrystalline solar array with a total power of 4,000 W. The system is connected to LiFePO₄ batteries (48 V, 100 Ah / 200 A).

In total, ten solar panels generate up to 4 kW of energy. Meanwhile, the lithium “Powerwall”-type batteries efficiently store this energy. These batteries are similar to those popularized by Tesla and offer high reliability and long lifespan.

Smart Control with AMAZIAPP

At the heart of the system is AMAZIAPP, a smart energy and navigation interface displayed on a 10-inch screen. This system manages:

• solar input,

• battery storage,

• engine output, and

• overall power consumption.

In addition, it provides navigation, range prediction, speed optimization, and a crucial “sail home” safety function. Thanks to this, the catamaran ensures safe, predictable journeys. At the same time, it remains intuitive and user-friendly for everyday use.