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As the Northern Hemisphere enters the autumn season this week, cruise operator Scandlines has taken the opportunity to reflect on the summer period, in which the company says its two new hybrid ferries, M/V Berlin and M/V Copenhagen, contributed to a reduction of emissions in the Baltic Sea.

The new ferries, which are the largest hybrid ferries in the world, were put into service on the Rostock-Gedser route in 2016.

The hybrid propulsion system of the two vessels combine traditional diesel power with electric battery power. This is designed to enable each vessel to optimise fuel consumption by adjusting its engine output, and at the same time there is a redundant power supply in case one of the diesel engines stops unintentionally.

Due to their innovative hybrid propulsion system, Scandlines says fuel consumption can be reduced by two thirds per trip per car compared to the ferries previously operating on the route.

Both new vessels have also been fitted with an exhaust gas cleaning, or 'scrubber', system. The system is said to clean at least 90 percent of the sulphur and particulate matter out of the exhaust gas, thereby emitting water vapour from the funnel of the ferry.

The new hybrid ferries are not only more eco-friendly and more efficient in terms of energy; since the beginning of 2017, Scandlines says their size has led to double-digit growth. The larger-capacity M/V Berlin and the M/V Copenhagen are capable of transporting 1,300 passengers and 460 cars or 96 lorries - more than their predecessors.

In terms of operational performance, Scandlines explained: "The summer of 2017 was excellent for Scandlines thanks to a steady ferry service and an increasing growth in the number of transported vehicles. There were no cancellations due to technical issues on the company's two ferry routes. Only very few departures were delayed due to force majeure, and the majority of these were less than five minutes."

"Compared to last year's high season, Scandlines realised more crossings on both the operated routes this summer. On the route Puttgarden-Rodby, Scandlines had more than 9,000 departures during the summer months," the company added.