By
Elizabeth Robinson |
German domestic ferry operator Wyker Dampfschiffs-Reederei Föhr-Amrum (WDR) is to introduce a new 250-passenger ferry to its fleet in spring 2019.
Currently under construction in the Netherlands, the new ferry will be able to operate at a speed of up to 16 knots and will provide services in Germany.
The news was revealed as WDR officially christened its latest new ferry Norderaue at the Port of Wyk on Föhr Island in Germany. Heike Tholund, wife of the company’s nautical inspector and fleet operations manager Captain Christ Tholund, acted as godmother during the naming ceremony.
Norderaue was delivered by German shipyard Neptun Werft on 19 April and has been operating between the island ports of Wyk in Föhr, Wittdün in Amrum and the Schleswig-Holstein region on Germany’s mainland since the beginning of May.
The vessel has been designed to meet sustainability standards, provide efficient cargo transport services and comfortable passenger facilities.
The new vessel is powered by four Caterpillar main engines and four Voith propellers. The new ship has been designed and constructed in accordance with the RAL-UZ 141 standards for the German Blauer Engel ecolabel. Certification is currently underway and WDR also intends to gain Blauer Engel’s Raluz 110 certification, which focuses on sustainable ship operations.
“Due to the more advanced propulsion and larger capacity of Norderaue, this ship consumes about 25% less marine gas oil per transported car than her predecessor, 1992-built Rungholt,” said Axel Meynköhn, managing director of WDR.