The Danish Maritime Authority has confirmed that local naval architecture firm OSK Design’s proposed ferries for Denmark’s Samsø and Ærø island routes can be assessed under national rules for smaller domestic passenger ships rather than the European Union Passenger Ship Directive.
Samsø Municipality announced the clarification on Friday, October 2, following discussions involving the project partners, the authority and the European Commission.
The determination establishes a route to approval rather than granting final vessel approval; the designs must still meet the required safety level.
For domestic voyages, the EU directive establishes common safety requirements covering high-speed passenger craft and passenger vessels constructed using steel or comparable material. The HSC Code may be used in place of the usual national requirements if an individual risk assessment demonstrates an equivalent level of safety.
The partners are continuing to seek funding to advance the designs.
OSK Design developed the concept with municipal ferry operators Samsø Rederi and Ærøfærgerne and classification society Bureau Veritas. The proposed ferries will serve Samsø Rederi’s Hou–Sælvig route and Ærøfærgerne’s Ærøskøbing–Svendborg route.
The proposed Samsø version will have an LOA of 95 metres, while the Ærø version will measure 70 metres long. The partners said the design principles can eventually be applied to other domestic ferry services.
The concept will replace the conventional steel ferry form with a lightweight aluminium hull. Reducing vessel weight is intended to lower energy demand and support fully battery-electric operation, with smaller battery packs and less extensive charging infrastructure.
The Hou–Sælvig service is operated by the 2015-built, LNG dual-fuel double-ended ferry Prinsesse Isabella. The Ærøskøbing–Svendborg vessels are the 1999-built sister ferries Marstal and Ærøsøbing.
