VESSEL REVIEW | Welt Ahoi! – German operator acquires double-ended electric commuter ferry

Stadtwerke Lubeck Mobil, a transport service provider in the city of Lubeck in northern Germany, recently took delivery of a new Ro-Pax ferry.

Built by local shipyard Ostseestaal and its subsidiary Ampereship, Welt Ahoi! will be operated on the 240-metre-long stretch of the Trave River that connects the Lubeck district of Travemünde with the nearby Priwall peninsula, transporting both vehicles and passengers.

The newbuild has all-steel construction, a length of 37 metres, a beam of 13.5 metres, and capacity for 300 passengers, 15 bicycles, and a total vehicle freight volume equivalent to that of 18 cars. Alternatively, the vessel can transport 12 cars and two lorries.

The ferry's propulsion setup includes a 768kWh battery and two Voith 260kW motors that will enable 24-hour operations and deliver a maximum speed of 7.5 knots. During regular sailings, the vessel will cruise at a service speed of 3.2 knots. PV panels are also fitted to free up some of the battery power for navigation while an additional diesel generator will help extend the vessel's operating endurance if needed, thus allowing as many trips as possible to be completed within a 24-hour period.

Ingo Schillinger, Business Unit Manager at Ampereship, said the ferry's propulsion can be modified in the future to allow the installation of lower-emission technologies such as additional batteries – to allow fully electric operations in all sailings – and hydrogen systems. However, even in its current configuration, the vessel will still be able to operate in battery-only mode during at least 50 per cent of its total voyages in one day, hence reducing its overall emissions.