Schottel has been selected to provide the propulsion package for the new Mersey Ferries passenger vessel Royal Daffodil.
Designed and constructed by Cammell Laird Shiprepairers and Shipbuilders in Birkenhead, UK, the vessel was officially launched in September 2026 and replaces the earlier ferry Royal Iris after 67 years of operation on the Mersey River in the Liverpool City Region.
Since operating on a tidal river with frequent berthing manoeuvres and dense surrounding traffic places high demands on the propulsion system, Royal Daffodil is equipped with two hydrodynamically optimised SRE 210 main propellers and one STT 110 side thruster.
Schottel said this configuration enables precise vessel control and a smooth transition from transit operations to harbour and manoeuvring operations. As a result, safe and efficient docking and undocking manoeuvres can be carried out during scheduled service.
The two SRE units each feature the "embedded L-drive" variant. Schottel said their compact, fully electric design helps optimise machinery space usage while reducing noise and vibration levels.