Scandlines to convert ferries to hybrid operation
Copenhagen-based Scandlines is converting two of the ferries operating the Puttgarden-Rødby route to plug-in hybrid operation, involving an investment of around €31 million. The aim is to reduce CO2 emissions by up to 80%, the company states. The refit includes the installation of 5MWh battery systems on each ferry and charging facilities on board and at the Puttgarden and Rødby ferry berths. The in-port charging time will be just 12 minutes.
Scandlines has signed a contract with Western Shiprepair in Lithuania for the conversion work. The first ferry will arrive at Western Shiprepair at the end of August and the second in December. Both conversions will be completed in 2026.
Guests gathered to mark the official opening of the new 25,000tonne-capacity ship lift at Jacksonville
New Jacksonville repair facility becomes operational
BAE Systems has officially opened a US$250 million ship lift and land-level ship repair facility in Jacksonville, Florida. The upgraded complex will support the maintenance and repair of both naval vessels and commercial ships in the region. With the capacity to lift vessels displacing up to 25,000tonnes and accommodate multiple vessels for maintenance simultaneously ashore, the new complex expands the shipyard’s capabilities by more than 300%.
The project, undertaken together with Pearlson Shiplift Corporation, Foth Engineering and Kiewit Infrastructure South Co, replaces an 80-year-old drydock that had reached the end of its life span. The new ship lift system’s platform, which spans 150m x 33.5m, is the largest of its type in the Americas.
Greek floating dock resumes operations
Piraeus Port Authority has announced the resumption of full operational activity at its floating dock Piraeus II at the Perama Ship Repair Zone, following completion of a series of extensive repair and maintenance works. The investment was carried out as part of a special survey, which was successfully concluded with the issuing of a new five-year operational certificate by the relevant classification society.
The dock’s return to operation was marked by the docking of the ro-pax vessel Poseidon. The upgrade of the dock – measuring 113m in length and 18.5m in internal width, and offering a lift capacity of 4,000tonnes – is one of a number of developments planned by the port authority to “radically transform” the Perama Ship Repair Zone and make it a more competitive option for ship repair projects in the Mediterranean.
