Scandlines orders zero-emission Ferries for the Puttgarden-Rødby route
Scandlines has signed a contract with the Turkish shipyard Cemre to build a zero-emission freight ferry for the Puttgarden-Rødby ferry route between Germany and Denmark. The Ferries will enter service in 2024 and herald the next generation of ships on the route.
Emission-free and more capacity
The vessel will have a capacity of 66 cargo units; increasing the current capacity by 23 percent.
With a crossing time of one hour, the Ferries is emission-free. It can also be used in hybrid operation, as is already the case on the Scandlines routes between Germany and Denmark. In hybrid mode, the crossing time is 45 minutes. In this way, the Ferries can also be used as a replacement ferry when one of the four double-ended ferries currently operating on the Puttgarden-Rødby route is in the shipyard.
As with the Ferries on the Rostock-Gedser route, trucks can be carried on both the upper and lower decks. This means that ferry bed 1 in Puttgarden and ferry bed 3 in Rødby must be converted so that the upper vehicle deck can also be loaded with trucks. At the same time, a new area for trucks will be created in the Puttgarden terminal.
Scandlines is thus replacing the two oldest ships in the fleet, the “Holger Danske” and the “Kronprins Frederik”.
“With the increased capacity, we are able to meet the growing demand from freight customers. In 2021 alone, the number of freight units increased by twelve percent,” says Carsten Nørland, CEO of Scandlines.
Shore power in Rødbyhavn and Puttgarden
Scandlines is taking a big step on its green journey with an emission-free Ferries. The Ferries will initially be charged exclusively in Rødby in Denmark. In 2019, Scandlines had already invested in a 50 kV / 25 MW power cable to Færgevej in Rødbyhavn. This cable will now be extended to the ferry beds, where a transformer and charging station will be installed. The plan is to be able to charge in Puttgarden as soon as a good solution for purchasing green energy has been found.
The modular design of the ship allows the Ferries to be adapted at a later date so that it can also carry cars. In this way, Scandlines achieves maximum flexibility, both in terms of future technology and in terms of demand.
“At Scandlines, the focus has long been on the whole area of sustainability. The hybrid system was a quantum leap in green ferry operations. Not only does Scandlines have the world’s largest fleet of hybrid ferries, but our system is also being copied worldwide and has been a huge success. Now we are ready to take the next step and deploy the first zero-emission Ferries. This means that the next generation is ready to take over Puttgarden-Rødby,” says Vagn Sørensen, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Scandlines.
NABU welcomes Scandlines’ path to emission-free shipping
“NABU expressly welcomes this further major step by the Scandlines shipping company on the road to emission-free shipping. Scandlines is not only significantly reducing its own emissions and proving that even larger ships can already Ferries completely without greenhouse gas and air pollutant emissions, but is also paving the way for climate-neutral shipping with its pioneering role. We are grateful for this courageous step,” says Sönke Diesener, Transport Officer at NABU – Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union Germany.
Data of the emission-free Scandlines cargo ferry for the Puttgarden-Rødby route:
- Length: 147.4 meters
- Width: 25.4 meters
- Design draft: 5.30 meters
- Loading capacity: 66 freight units (approx. 1,200 loading meters)
- Maximum number of passengers: 140
- Service trip: 18 knots
