Tycho Brahe News

Swedish ferry operator ForSea, the Helsingør-Helsingborg ferry service, has decided to convert Mercandia 4 from a passenger and freight vessel to a pure freight vessel."As a consequence, we will no longer offer retail and F&B services on Mercandia 4 as of 1 September 2019. This is a response to a long term decline in car and passenger traffic," the environmentally friendly ferry service said.In addition, customer surveys have over time demonstrated a clear preference of passengers to use the larger and more modern ferries, it said.The 95-meter-long ferry, built in 1989,  can accommodate up to 110 cars and 383 passengers."This is an important step to secure the position of the company in the future.

Based in Miramar, FL, ABB Vice President Ed Schwarz is today responsible for developing and leading the newly created new sales team for ABB in North America.He is the firm’s leading advocate for new build opportunities in US and Canada and more importantly, developing the business strategy necessary for bringing hybrid and electric solutions to North America market. A graduate of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, NY, he earned a Bachelor of Science in Marine Engineering and Shipyard Management in 2000.

Inauguration of Tycho Brahe and Aurora marks successful completion of a high-profile conversion project with ABB’s technology at its heart.The largest emission-free ferries in the world have been officially welcomed into service after guests boarded Tycho Brahe in Helsingborg, Sweden and Helsingør, Denmark on November 9 for a special inauguration ceremony marking completion of an all-electric conversion.“We are delighted that the entire system is in place to support the emissions-free operations we envisaged from the outset,” said Johan Röstin, CEO, ForSea.

Swedish HH Ferries Group has inaugurated the two ferries Aurora and Tycho Brahe as the world’s largest battery-powered passenger ferries on the route between Helsingborg, Sweden and Helsingör, Denmark.A press release from the owner of the ferry route which is marketed under the trademark Scandlines Helsingborg-Helsingör quoted Johan Röstin, CEO as saying: “Today’s official inauguration marks a milestone for HH Ferries Group’s green strategy. The ambitious project reduces the company’s total emissions of CO2, NOx and particles by 65% when the two high-frequency ferries are powered by green electricity."He added: "That is great news for the environment in and around Öresund and for customers and inhabitants in our local area.

Oresund Dry Docks: The Biggest Shipyard in SwedenWhile shipbuilding and ship repair has largely exited the European stage for Far East locales, shipyards such as Oresund Dry Docks in Landskrona, Sweden, maintain a healthy workload. Magnus Malmström, Oresund Dry Docks’ Sales Manager said in a recent interview with Maritime Reporter that Oresund is the largest yard left in Sweden, dedicated to conversion and repair, since 1915. While it was involved in the newbuild business to the 1980s, its business today is dominated by passenger, RoPax and tanker repair and conversion business.

ABB’s project to convert two HH Ferries’ vessels into the world’s largest emission-free ferries is gathering pace after Öresund Dry Docks was selected to carry out the work. M/F Tycho Brahe and M/F Aurora will both be fitted with 4.16 MW of batteries and the containers with the battery racks will be lifted on board in February 2017. The dry-docking of the first vessel, Tycho Brahe, will begin in April and it will start operating as a fully electric ferry immediately when work is completed. Aurora will undergo the same process in October 2017. This highly innovative project also includes the installation of four fully automated shore-side charging arms and these are currently under construction in ABB´s factories.

ABB informs it will supply the complete power and propulsion systems for two HH Ferries Group vessels to become the world´s largest emission-free electric ferries. The modernizations utilize turnkey ABB solutions including batteries, an energy storage control system and Onboard DC Grid technology. At both ends of the route ABB will supply the first automated shore-side charging stations using an ABB industrial robot, to optimize the connection time and therefore maximize the charging period.