Holland Shipyards Group has laid the keel for a fully electric ferry at its yard in Hardinxveld-Giessendam, the Netherlands
Düsternbrook, a fully electric ferry, is one of two ferries Holland Shipyards is building for German tow and ferry firm Schlepp-und Fährgesellschaft Kiel (SFK).
The 24.7-m by 6.5-m ferry is a battery-powered, emissions-free vessel. In addition to the battery pack, the vessel will have 20 solar panels installed on the roof to provide the onboard power supply network.
The ferry features a non-conventional automated mooring system with mooring hooks on both sides of the ship. The mooring system, a one-man operation, is controlled from the wheelhouse. During mooring, the engine is not in use, resulting in reduced energy consumption.
Düsternbrook, which is expected to be operational at the end of 2020, is the second ferry awarded to Holland Shipyards by SFK at a time when the ferry newbuilding market is experiencing a boom. In May 2019, SFK awarded Holland Shipyards Group a contract to design and deliver the ferry, Gaarden.
Both vessels are part of the ongoing regeneration of the German city of Kiel’s passenger fleet. Kiel’s government decided to build its second ferry, Düsternbrook, at Holland Shipyards Group to ensure consistency across its fleet. The project is supported by the German national government’s state department of traffic and digital infrastructure as part of the clean air programme. Kiel city aims to be carbon-neutral by 2050.
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