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The Broads Authority is pioneering solar power on Britain's waterways with the launch of the country's first purpose-built passenger-carrying solar boat on the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads on Friday September 1st.

The Broads Authority, which manages Britain's largest protected wetland, commissioned the building of the £55,000 German boat, "Ra", with substantial funding from Norfolk's leading waste management company, Norfolk Environmental Waste Services Ltd., (NEWS) and an enabling contribution by the Countryside Agency.

The 30 ft, 12 seater boat, which has three rows of seven solar panels, will run guided trips round the newly restored Barton Broad, from next Easter. Passengers will be able to view the work achieved by Clear Water 2000, Europe's leading lake restoration project, which at present can only be seen by boat.

Aitken Clark, Chief Executive of the Broads Authority, discovered the solar boat through contact with Lake Constance in Germany. Lake Constance and the Broads are members of a world-wide network of lakes in need of conservation. A boat similar to "Ra" is presently on exhibition at Expo 2000 in Hanover, where the Broads Authority is taking part in a Living Lakes exhibition.

"This is an exciting and innovative way of harnessing nature to enjoy the natural world," he said. "Environmentally friendly boating is at the heart of the Broads Authority's objectives and we hope that this solar powered boat will be the beginning of a new way of thinking in boat propulsion. We felt it was a futuristic and fitting way of opening up Barton Broad to the public as part of our Millenium Project. It is the fulfillment of a dream."

The Broads Authority, now in its 11th year, is leading the way in promoting environmentally friendly boating for the protection of the fragile Broads environment, which has similar status to a national park, and is home to some of the rarest species of wildlife in the UK.

The Authority staged Britain's first two international Eco Boat conferences and exhibitions in 1997 and spring 2000, to promote quiet, clean boating. At the second conference solar boating was high on the agenda with two speakers from Germany on the subject, one from Kopf Solar Design, manufacturers of the Ra 29 solar launches.

Ra is the Egyptian sun god, and when the Egyptians died they believed they moved on to the next life in a solar boat. The theme fits in well with the 95 year-old wherry Hathor - named after the Egyptian goddess of love and joy - which still sails the Broads.

Norfolk Environmental Waste Services have contributed £30,000 towards the cost of the boat through the landfill tax credit scheme, which allows companies to claim 20% of the landfill tax they would otherwise pay to the Treasury for use in recognised environmental projects.

Managing Director of NEWS, David Beadle, said: "Clear Water 2000 is a very exciting and high profile project that is bringing significant environmental improvements and restoring Barton Broad's important ecosystem. We have been following the progress of the project closely with the Broads Authority, and, when they approched us to fund the solar powered boat, we were delighted to become involved."

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