VESSEL REVIEW | Laboe – German ferry operator acquires hybrid newbuild for commuter routes
German transport company Schlepp- und Fährgesellschaft Kiel (SFK) recently took delivery of a new hybrid ferry built by Netherlands-based the Holland Shipyards Group.
Named after a municipality on Germany’s Baltic Sea coast, Laboe has a length of 32.4 metres, a beam of 8.8 metres, and a hybrid drivetrain that can be powered by generators or a battery bank. The vessel’s battery capacity is notable for its improvement over those of the previously delivered hybrid ferries in the SFK fleet. Specifically, the installation of two 272kWh batteries driving permanent magnet (PM) motors ensures the ferry will be able to sail over greater distances on full electric mode.
Laboe is notable for using a similar design as three earlier all-electric ferries that were also built by the Holland Shipyards Group for SFK. The most noticeable difference is the slightly greater length for accommodating up to 300 passengers on two decks.
The ferry’s upper deck has both an enclosed cabin and a forward open-air seating area for use during days of clear weather, though sun protection from Van Berchum is also fitted. Mess tables and toilets are available in the main passenger cabins, which are kept comfortable year-round thanks to an HVAC system from Windex Engineering.
The propulsion setup includes PM motors from Hybrid Ship Propulsion, two Sandfirden Technics EU Stage V-compliant generators, a Scania DC13 auxiliary engine, and a De Waal Machinefabriek steering system. Blokland Non Ferro meanwhile provided the vessel’s coolers, plate heat exchangers, propeller shafts, and anti-fouling system.
Navigation can be performed by only one crewmember thanks to an ergonomically laid out central helm station.
Work on the interior spaces including the wheelhouse was undertaken by Hoogendoorn MBI, which also performed similar works on the same owner’s other Holland Shipyards-built ferries.
Laboe has already commenced operational sailings, ferrying passengers in and around Kiel.
| Laboe | |
| SPECIFICATIONS | |
| Type of vessel: | Ferry |
| Flag: | Germany |
| Owner: | Schlepp- und Fährgesellschaft Kiel, Germany |
| Builder: | Holland Shipyards Group, Netherlands |
| Length overall: | 32.4 metres |
| Beam: | 8.8 metres |
| Propulsion: | 2 x Hybrid Ship Propulsion |
| Auxiliary engine: | Scania DC13 |
| Generators: | 2 x Sandfirden Technics |
| Steering system: | De Waal Machinefabriek |
| Batteries: | 2 x 272 kWh |
| Other equipment installed: | Windex Engineering HVAC; Blokland Non Ferro coolers; Blokland Non Ferro heat exchangers; Blokland Non Ferro anti-fouling system |
| Interior fitout: | Hoogendoorn MBI |
| Passengers: | 300 |
| Operational area: | Kiel, Germany |
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