Scandlines

Scandlines is a German-Danish shipping line operating the Rødby-Puttgarden and Gedser-Rostock routes between Denmark and Germany. With six hybrid ferries, the company owns the largest hybrid ferry fleet in the world.

Scandlines runs two key ferry links between Germany and Denmark. The Puttgarden-Rødby route connects the island of Fehmarn with the Danish island of Lolland and is served by the ferries M/V Deutschland, M/V Prinsesse Benedikte, M/V Prins Richard and M/V Schleswig-Holstein. The ferries M/F Berlin and M/F Copenhagen run on the Rostock-Gedser route.

The company has taken a pioneering role in eco-friendly propulsion. In 2013, the first ferry on the Puttgarden-Rødby route was converted to hybrid power, followed by the other three passenger ferries in 2014. The new ferries built for the Rostock-Gedser route in 2016 were designed as hybrid vessels from the outset. The conversion cuts CO2 emissions by around 15,000 tonnes a year.

In 2022, the two ferries on the Gedser-Rostock route were fitted with 30-metre rotor sails that work on the Flettner principle and support the ships' propulsion. Wärtsilä will convert the ferries Deutschland and Schleswig-Holstein to plug-in hybrid. Scandlines aims for emission-free operations on the Puttgarden-Rødby route by 2030 and zero emissions on all routes by 2040. A new emission-free freight ferry is due to enter service in 2025.