Germans praise eco newbuilds and order a fifth
Kiel ferry operator SFK has praised its two new eco ferries and has ordered a fifth as it continues an emission-free fleet upgrade, reports Tom Todd.
Already in service with SFK (Schlepp- und Fährgesellschaft Kiel) are the 32m x 8m plug-in hybrid ferry Gaarden and the 27.5 x 6.5m all-electric Düsternbrook.
Operations Manager Michael Maiblom said SFK was “very satisfied” with those two already serving newbuilds from Holland Shipyards. He also told Maritime Journal that “we will of course incorporate detail improvements into sister ships under construction”.
He was referring to the two further plug-in hybrid ferries and a second all-electric ferry now being built at Holland Shipyards. That yard also built Gaarden, delivered in 2020, and Düsternbrook which joined SFK in June this year. SFK has described Düsternbrook as the first all-electric public transport ferry to operate in a North German port.
The two new hybrids, already named Wik and Friedrichsort, are sister ships of Gaarden and for delivery in the first half of 2022, according to the SFK.
For delivery at almost the same time and by the end of June next year is SFK’s second ground-breaking all-electric ferry, Wellingdorf, a sister of Düsternbrook.
The three ships under build, as indicated by Michael Maiblom, are likely to reflect technical and other experience gained in the operations of Gaarden and Düsternbrook. Maiblom told Maritime Journal however that specific technical details of the ships currently under build were not being released just yet.
Despite that, a good picture of the future all-electric Wellingdorf is already taking shape.
SFK itself has said it will be “almost identical” with Düsternbrook and plans have already been revealed to expand the battery capacity on the new ferry by a maximum of three hours a day increasing its operational time from ten to 13 hours. German media report that the same capacity increase is also being considered for Düsternbrook.
Builders Holland Shipyards added that Wellingdorf will be powered by batteries with an installed capacity of 1.092kWh and have 20 roof-located solar panels to help feed the on-board electrical system.
Costing about €3 million Wellingdorf, like the other SFK eco ships, is getting funding under the German Government’s Clean Air programme. SFK said €480,000 was being put up by Berlin.
