Electric ferry for Lake Zurich

Emission-free electric ships for passenger transport
The emission-free newbuilds will replace three diesel-powered ships that have been travelling on the Limmat, the river that flows out of Lake Zurich and crosses the largest Swiss city of Zurich, for around 30 years. „With the order from Switzerland, we have succeeded for the first time in asserting ourselves on the international market with our expertise in the construction of electric solar ships for professional inland navigation,“ emphasises Dr Thomas Kühmstedt, Technical Director at Ostseestaal and Managing Director of the subsidiary Ampereship GmbH, which is responsible for building the Zurich ships.

The three electric passenger ships, each 22.50 metres long and 3.80 metres wide, are the largest and most demanding shipbuilding order for Ostseestaal to date. The ship design poses a particular challenge. „As the ships have to turn on the narrow River Limmat and travel under very deep bridges, a very flat hull is required,“ explains Ingo Schillinger, the manager responsible at Ampereship. The newbuilds are also more spacious and quieter than their predecessors, with room for 61 ferry passengers each. Air-conditioned all year round and wheelchair-accessible, the new ZSG ships will not only be used for local passenger transport in future, but also for events and functions on the water.

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The ships will be equipped with fully electric propulsion. This is designed so that the high-performance batteries can be recharged overnight on land using green electricity from the Zurich power station. Additional „green electricity“ for the three Limmat ships will be supplied by a photovoltaic system on the ZSG company premises. 

The company Ostseestaal has successfully developed the electric solar-powered ship business in recent years and has so far built ten of these specialised ships for various applications.

Facts & figures about the ferry