Scandlines has held a keel-laying ceremony for a new zero-direct-emission freight ferry. The vessel will serve a route between Puttgarden in Germany and Rødby in Denmark starting in 2024 and has therefore been named the PR24.
The vessel is being built by the Cemre Shipyard in Turkey and, unlike conventional new-build ferries, is not being built around a single keel but instead around several hull sections. The first block was placed on the slipway last week.
In 2024 the ferry will become the first emission-free ferry to serve the Puttgarden-Rødby route. It will be capable of being charged in 17 minutes in Rødby. Having invested in a 50kV/25MW power cable at Færgevej in Rødbyhavn in 2019, Scandlines will now extend the cable to the ferry berths where a new transformer and charging station will be built.
When the vessel is used in emissions-free mode, the crossing will take 70 minutes, compared with 45 minutes if used as a hybrid. The ferry terminals in Puttgarden and Rødby are currently being rebuilt, with Berth 1 in Rødby being converted into a lay-up berth for five double-ended ferries.
“The date of the keel laying is interesting because the ship has to be built according to the rules and regulations in force on that date. It is also a day associated with tradition, so of course we also placed a newly minted coin under the ship at the keel laying,” said Michael Guldmann Petersen, COO of Scandlines.
“We are off to a good start and we are sending a clear signal of continued focus on growth,” said Carsten Nørland, CEO of Scandlines.