Two years of preparations by Molslinjen's technicians reached a provisional culmination late Friday afternoon in Copenhagen, when board chairmen from Molslinjen and Cemre Shipyard in Turkey put their signatures on contracts for the construction of two electric ferries for Alslinjen and Samsølinjen.

Both contracts are conditional on a final contract between Molslinjen and the Ministry of Transport this autumn.

The signatures were signed the day after the Ministry of Transport had awarded Molslinjen the two ferry routes after two tenders. Molslinjen has already operated both routes since autumn 2018.

The two new electric ferries must be put into production as soon as possible. Alslinjen's ferry is to be put into operation by September 2024, while Samsølinjen's ferry is to have its first trip in January 2025.

"It has been a huge task for us to prepare this construction and be ready in a very troubled and uncertain world, but it will also be a very exciting process, where we will take a very big step towards a green conversion of Danish domestic ferry service", says Molslinjen's managing director, Carsten Jensen.

Apart from a few technical details, the two ferries will be identical. Molslinjen does not want to publish the finances of the two contracts.

© Shippax

Contract signing. From the left is the managing director of Molslinjen, Carsten Jensen, Molslinjen's chairman of the board, Niels Smedegaard, flanked by the chairman of the board of Cemre Shipyard, Orhan Gûlcek.