Scandlines Is Planning Next Steps For Emission-Free Ferry Traffic
“Full battery operation on Puttgarden-Rødby is possible if the ports can be efficiently connected to the power grid, and if the electricity becomes cheaper,” said Scandlines CEO Søren Poulsgaard Jensen to Dr. Bernd Buchholz, Minister of Economy, Transport, Labor, Technology and Tourism of Schleswig-Holstein.
“We plan to upgrade two more main engines from our ferries and replace them with battery packs that are loaded with land-based electricity during the less than 15-minute port time. But for this purpose, the capacity of the power grid in the port of Puttgarden must first be extended by an additional ten-kilometer cable from the center of the island of Fehmarn, and an on-site energy storage system must be built. Due to the currently high price difference between power produced onboard and the electricity purchased from the grid, the running costs are currently too high and thus not competitive. Therefore, we welcome the current efforts of the federal government to reduce the EEG surcharge for shore power as a first step,” said Søren Poulsgaard Jensen.
For the conversion of the ferries and the shore-side infrastructure Scandlines expects investments of approximately 100 million euros.
