Scandlines' new zero direct emission freight ferry under the Danish flag with dual crew
At the Cemre shipyard in Turkey, all the steel plates for Scandlines' new zero direct emission freight ferry PR24 (Puttgarden-Rødby 2024) have now been cut. All 36 sections are expected to be welded together and placed on the slipway by the end of June 2023. The ferry will enter service on the Fehmarn Belt in 2024 under the Danish flag and with dual crew.
Construction work on Scandlines' new, zero direct emission freight ferry is progressing according to plan. The Cemre shipyard in Turkey has now cut all the steel plates and the 36 sections that make up the ferry are expected to be welded together and placed on the slipway by the end of June 2023.
When the PR24 enters service on the Fehmarn Belt in just over a year's time, it will sail under the Danish flag and with dual crew, which is the optimum operational solution for Scandlines. During the training, the dual officers acquire unique skills in navigation, engineering, management, etc., and will thus be trained to work as both technical officers and masters.
Preparations are also ongoing in Scandlines' simulator in Puttgarden. A digital twin of the PR24 will be installed in the first quarter of 2024, so that the crew will have enough time to practice navigation of the PR24 before it goes into service.
The ferry terminals in Puttgarden and Rødby must also be prepared for the use of the PR24 and the increased traffic volume, especially within freight. Scandlines has therefore carried out a comprehensive traffic study in cooperation with the construction consultancy Sweco, which forms the basis for the new terminal infrastructure. The new infrastructure will increase the capacity of the terminal areas and enable the automation of check-in as well as the use of the new freight ferry PR24.
"Many employees are involved in the project. The reconstruction of the terminals with the automatic number plate recognition at check-in, and the commissioning of our new freight ferry in 2024 will help to ensure the required capacity and our continued growth. It will also help to improve the customer experience," says Scandlines Operations Excellence Manager Nicolai Træde Vestergaard.
The expansion of the ferry terminals in Puttgarden and Rødby is divided into several phases. The first sod was turned in Rødby at the beginning of March, and construction work will continue over the next 12 months, with a break in construction during the peak season in July and August.
Data for zero direct emission Scandlines freight ferry for the Puttgarden-Rødby route:
- Length: 147.4 m
- Breadth: 25.4 m
- Design draft: 5.30 m
- Freight capacity: 66 freight units (abt. 1,200 lane meters)
- Max. number of passengers: 140
- Service speed: 16/10 knots
- Battery system: 10 MWh
- Charging time in port: 17 minutes
- Investment: 80 MEUR