Germans lose Scandlines conversions

After signing a letter of intent and towing the ferries to Hamburg, Scandlines said the conversions were going to Denmark’s Fayard for the conversion after B + V carried out only “extensive pre-engineering”. The ferries arrived at Fayard in July.

The last-minute move was just the latest twist in the history of the two unfortunate 69.5m newbuildings since Scandlines ordered them at P&S Yards in Stralsund in 2010. It later rejected them as overweight and not to specification but then bought them back cheaply after P&S went bankrupt. Their names are being changed.

B+ V told The Motorship it did not want to comment on the loss of the conversions but several factors might well have contributed to it. There were reports Fayard had offered a better price, but time available for the complex jobs also appeared very significant.

Scandlines said Fayard had “accepted responsibility” for delivering them in 2015, with no month specified, after indicating earlier it needed them at the start of the year. Fayard “meets the delivery times. That has been crucial for us in this process”, it declared.

It also announced its detailed plans for the jobs and weight reduction making clear just how complex the conversions will be. Decks 8 and 9 as well as the funnel will be removed. Deck 7 will be gutted and shortened by 10-15m and the bridge will be removed. A new narrower Deck 8 will be built along with a new aluminium bridge.

The main Diesel generator will be removed and Scandlines own “ground-breaking” hybrid propulsion system will be fitted. A scrubber will be installed to reduce emissions by at least 90%. Interiors and technical equipment on Decks 7 and 8 will be rebuilt, much of it using lightweight materials. New heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems will be installed and the complete cable system will be replaced.