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Scandlines' second new hybrid ferry for the Rostock-Gedser route, the M/V Copenhagen, will carry passengers for the first time when it departs from Gedser (Denmark) towards Rostock (Germany) on 21st December.

The new hybrid ferry was registered on 19th December and departed on the same day from the Danish yard Fayard A/S. On 20th December, sea trials were carried out between Rostock and Gedser; and on 21st December the ferry goes into ordinary service at 9 a.m.

The M/V Copenhagen is the second of two new hybrid ferries for the Rostock-Gedser route; it replaces the M/V Kronprins Frederik, which will be used as a replacement ferry on the Rostock-Gedser and Puttgarden-Rodby routes. This will mean that an extra ferry will be able to be deployed on both routes.

"I am happy that we can now offer our customers this fantastic vessel which together with the sister vessel Berlin also is the world's biggest hybrid ferry. The new ferries represent an investment of more than 140 million EUR per vessel and are a substantial upgrade of the central and eastern transport corridor between the European mainland and Scandinavia," commented Soren Poulsgaard Jensen, Scandlines' CEO.

Working alongside the manufacturer of the diesel electric engines of the vessels, MaK/Caterpillar, Scandlines has deemed it necessary to rebuild the common rail injection system of the M/V Berlin's and M/V Copenhagen's engines.

Scandlines has confirmed that the new injection modules will not be delivered until 1st January 2017, therefore both vessels are scheduled to be converted at the start of next year.

As the M/V Kronprins Frederik will be used in place of the two new vessels when they are not in operation, the conversions are not expected to affect the timetable for the Rostock-Gedser route.