Scandlines, the German-Danish Baltic ferry operator, is fitting an energy management operating system on four vessels that converts surplus engine output into electricity. The electricity will be stored in accumulators and then fed back into the propulsion system alongside standard fuel thereby reducing the fuel consumption required.
Scandline expects that the use of such hybrid drives will achieve fuel cost savings of 15%-18% but have not said how much the systems will cost.
The first vessel, the 14,822gt ferry Prinsesse Benedikte, will be fitted with the energy management system during a regular yard call in October with the accumulators being installed at the start of 2013.
Subject to satisfactory performance on the Prinsesse Benedikte, three other sister ships, Prins Richard and the 15,187gt Schleswig-Holstein and Deutschland, will be equipped by the end of 2013.
[mappress]
Shipbuilding Tribune Staff, September 28, 2012