Emissions-free ferry links Kamp and Usedom Island
The Antonia vom Kamp links Kamp at the seaside of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania with the tourist island of Usedom (Source: Christian Brecheis / Torqueedo)
A 14.65m-long solar-electric passenger ferry has been commissioned on the route linking Kamp on the German mainland with the popular tourist island of Usedom in the Baltic Sea.
The Antonia vom Kamp, built by Ostseestaal and Ampereship GmbH, is propelled by a single 60-kW Deep Blue electric azimuth thruster from Torqeedo, with power provided by two 40-kWh Deep Blue batteries and a 4.3-kWp solar installation. The arrangement ensures a service speed of 8km/h and a maximum speed of 15km/h. The system is estimated to cut CO2 emissions by 20 tonnes a year.
Kay Peters, managing director of operator Oderhaff Reederei Peters GmbH, said that the ferry can operate almost entirely on its photovoltaic system. He also identified other efficiency gains such as no gearbox, no losses, no requirement to use energy when the ship is not moving, less maintenance and fewer spare parts.
Commenting on behalf of Ostseestaal and Ampereship, Ingo Schillinger, business unit manager commercial shipbuilding, said: “In Torqeedo we have found a reliable partner that delivers the entire drive train from a single source. This helps to build the ferry on time and within the budget."
