New "Elbferry" between Brunsbüttel and Cuxhaven from spring

25 January 2021

Improved link to Benelux countries - more environment-friendly LNG offers alternative to existing Elbe crossings

A new "Elbferry" connecting Brunsbüttel and Cuxhaven will start operating on March 1, 2021. The Greenferry I, which runs on liquefied natural gas (LNG), will make the leap across the Elbe in just under an hour and operate at three-hourly intervals, according to Elbferry GmbH. The Elbe crossing between Schleswig-Holstein and Lower Saxony will relieve existing traffic routes and provide improved links between the Hamburg Metropolitan Region and Scandinavia as well as the Benelux countries. The ferry can transport 150 cars, 28 lorries and 600 passengers.

"Elbferry" to relieve existing traffic routes

The ferry link will reduce congestion and high volumes of traffic on motorways. Commenting on the new crossing, Enak Ferleman, Parliamentary State Secretary, said: "An additional connection across the Elbe is a must. Many years of major construction work on Hamburg’s A7 and congestion on existing traffic routes has necessitated another ferry link across the Elbe." The ferry will benefit the shipping sector and boost tourism in the entire coastal region.

Ferry to run on LNG

The connection can be operated economically and permanently as proven by previous figures, according to Heinrich Ahlers, Managing Director of Elbferry, and is an environment-friendly alternative to previous Elbe crossings. The Greenferry I runs on the increasingly-popular LNG, which is considered more environment-friendly than conventional heavy fuel oil and marine diesel. LNG reduces both emissions and pollution, said the operators. The shareholders of Elbferry include the Strahlmann shipping company and MTB New Energy in Brunsbüttel.

tn/sb/pb