Danish transport company Scandlines will soon take delivery of a recently completed double-ended Ro-Pax ferry built to a design by Norwegian naval architecture firm LMG Marin.
The Baltic Whale (previously named Futura) will be operated between the Danish town of Rodby and the village of Puttgarden on Ferhmarn Island in the German portion of the Baltic Sea. The vessel was developed as part of a €80 million (US$88 million) investment.
The ferry has a steel hull, an LOA of 147.4 metres, a beam of 25.4 metres, a design draught of 5.3 metres, and capacity for 140 passengers and up to 1,200 lane metres of freight – the equivalent of 66 cars – across two vehicle decks.
Trucks can be transported on both main and upper vehicle decks, and this necessitated reconstruction of the berths at the ferry’s two destination ports.
A hybrid electric propulsion arrangement that includes diesel engines and a 10MWh battery pack will deliver an operational speed of 16 knots, allowing the ferry to sail one-way between Rodby and Puttgarden in as little as 45 minutes. When operating in full electric mode, the vessel can achieve 10 knots and complete the same crossing in one hour.
The batteries will be charged with the aid of towers fitted on the jetties at Puttgarden and Rodby. The ferry's large battery system can be charged to full capacity in under 12 minutes at either port.
