As previously reported, the vessel (PR24), which will serve the Puttgarden-Rødby route in 2024, is being built at the Cemre Shipyard in Türkiye.
In a statement issued today (23 May), Scandlines confirmed that all 36 sections are expected to be welded together and placed on the slipway by the end of June 2023.
The Swiss battery manufacturer Leclanché is producing a battery bank for the new vessel. With a capacity of 10 MWh, Scandlines says it will be the largest lithium-ion battery installation on a ferry to date.
When the ferry starts operating on the Fehmarn Belt in 2024, it will be able to charge in 17 minutes in Rødby.
Scandlines also announced that 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.
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. Accordingly, Scandlines has carried out a 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 vessel.
‘Many employees are involved in the project,’ saids Scandlines Operations Excellence Manager Nicolai Træde Vestergaard. ‘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.’
The expansion of the ferry terminals in Puttgarden and Rødby is divided into several phases. Work began in Rødby at the beginning of March, and construction will continue across the next 12 months.
