Zero emission ferry

A Danish ferry operator is moving forward with delivering its next generation emission free ferries in 2024.

Scandlines has entered into a contract with Cemre Shipyard, Turkey, to build an emission-free freight ferry for its Puttgarden-Rødby route. The ferry will be inserted in 2024 and will launch the next generation of ferries on the route.

”Scandlines has for several years focused on the entire area of sustainability. The hybrid system was a quantum leap in green ferry operations. Scandlines not only operates the world’s largest fleet of hybrid ferries, the system is also being copied worldwide and has been a huge success,” said Vagn Sørensen, Chairman of Scandlines’ Supervisory Board.

”Now we are ready to take the next big step and insert the first zero emission ferry. The next generation of ferries is ready to take over.”

Green freight

With a crossing time of one hour, Scandlines said the ferry is entirely emission free.

But it can also be operated as a hybrid ferry like the current passenger ferries on the Scandlines routes between Germany and Denmark. As a hybrid ferry, the crossing time is 45 minutes. Thus, the ferry can also be used as backup ferry if one the four double-ended ferries that are currently operating the Puttgarden-Rødby route, is in the yard.

The vessel has a capacity of 66 freight units, which increases the current capacity by 23%, making the ferry even greener.

Because the new vessel will make it possible to transport lorries on both the upper and lower decks, the operator is able to replace the two oldest ships in the fleet, M/V Holger Danske and M/V Kronprins Frederik.

The ferry will initially exclusively charge in Rødby. Back in 2019, Scandlines invested in a 50 kV / 25 MW power cable to Færgevej in Rødbyhavn. This cable will now be extended to the ferry berths, where a transformer and charging station will be installed. In the longer run, the plan is to also be able to charge in Puttgarden when a good solution has been found for the purchase of green energy.