At the Cemre shipyard in Turkey, all of 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 is scheduled to enter service on the Fehmarn Belt in 2024 under the Danish flag and with dual crew.
When the PR24 enters service on the Fehmarn Belt, it will sail under the Danish flag and with dual crew, considered the optimum operational solution for Scandlines. During the training, the dual officers will acquire unique skills in navigation, engineering, management, and will thus be able to work as both technical officers and masters.
Preparations are ongoing in Scandlines’ simulator in Puttgarden, with a digital twin of the PR24 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 are to 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 a 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.
Scandlines Operations Excellence Manager Nicolai Træde Vestergaard said: “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.”
The PR24 ferry will be 147.4m long with about 1200 lane metres freight capacity. It will be powered by a 10MWh battery pack which can be charged in port in 17 minutes. As well as freight the vessel will carry up to 140 passengers and will travel at service speeds of 10-16knots.
