A recently christened 82.5m long passenger and car ferry owned by Stadtwerke Konstanz, the ‘Richmond’, is completing trials on the environmentally-sensitive Bodensee (Lake Constance).
The vessel is powered by two 8-cylinder mtu Series 4000 gas engines from Rolls-Royce, each with an output of 746kW, driving Voith-Schneider propellers. This is believed to be the first European inland ferry powered by pure gas engines, which offer the advantages of quietness, cleanliness and low vibrations. The Richmond has room for 700 passengers and 64 cars. The other five ferries operated by Stadtwerke Konstanz, which shuttle between Meersburg and Konstanz around the clock, are powered by mtu diesel engines. One visible difference is the 8m high ventilation mast that is part of the LNG ferry’s safety equipment.
Christoph Witte, technical manager Stadtwerke Konstanz ferries, said: “In addition, the ship’s hull has been optimised to reduce the ship’s drag so that less energy has to be used for propulsion.”
The first test runs with the mtu gas engines have proved successful for the shipping company. The new propulsion system, designaed for tugs, ferries, push boats and special ships, undercuts the NOx limits of the current IMO III emissions directive without exhaust gas aftertreatment, and the particulate mass is below the detection limit.
Shipyard manager Dieter Ehinger said: “The engines have a particularly smooth-running culture and purr quietly like a kitten.”
Denise Kurtulus, VP Global Marine Rolls-Royce Power Systems, added: “We are proud that Stadtwerke Konstanz has also chosen mtu engines for its latest ferry. We wish the shipping company a safe journey at all times and thank them for decades of intensive cooperation.”
Also on the protected Dutch Wadden Sea: quiet, without vibrations and clean
On the North Sea in the Wadden Sea nature reserve, two catamarans from the Doeksen shipping company have been operating reliably with new 16-cylinder mtu gas engines since 2021. Here, too, there was enthusiasm among operators and passengers: the gas engines are particularly quiet, produce no vibrations, no unpleasant odour and no black smoke. Rolls-Royce Power Systems has, up to now, received orders for mtu gas engines as propulsion systems and on-board power generators for a total of 11 ships in Europe and Singapore. These include ferries, tugs and government vessels. Flensburg University of Applied Sciences is using the benefits of this engine for an energy transition research project.
The new ferry was funded by the German Federal Ministry of Digital Affairs and Transport.
Michael Theurer, Parliamentary State Secretary, said: “This model project, which is funded by the German government to the tune of around €1.8m, is a real milestone in the development of clean and low-emission transport solutions thanks to innovative shipbuilding technology.”
