Nordic ferry operator Scandlines says it is committed to ferry operations with zero direct emissions by 2040; in order to meet this goal the company already combines three technologies on the Rostock-Gedser route: traditional diesel operation, battery operation and wind power.
Achieving emission-free ferry operations on the Rostock-Gedser route requires Scandlines to explore an additional technology. Scandlines is therefore in contact with Caterpillar Motoren regarding the possibilities of converting the current MaK diesel main engines of the Rostock-Gedser hybrid ferries to run on e-methanol. The use of e-methanol, which is produced from renewable energy sources, can reduce CO2 emissions by 95% under ideal circumstances.
The plan is that Caterpillar Motoren will provide a test engine in its workshop 2025. If Scandlines concludes that the test engine meets the expectations and fulfils the conditions, it is possible that the first Scandlines diesel engine will be converted in 2027.
Caterpillar, as a major manufacturer of construction equipment, industrial diesel engines and gas turbines, sees green methanol, produced from renewable energy sources, as a promising alternative to conventional fuels.
Image: Scandlines’ Rostock-Gedser ferries (source: Scandlines)
