Growth at Scandlines: Rostock-Gedser route attracts record numbers!

Growth at Scandlines: Rostock-Gedser route attracts record numbers!

Summer holidays in sight! The ferry company Scandlines is optimistic about the 2025 peak season. More and more travelers are taking advantage of the opportunity to cross the Baltic Sea on the popular route between Rostock and Gedser. As der-warnemuender.de reports, the company recorded an increase in car trips in the first half of 2025 4.4 percent, while freight also increased by 1 percent and passenger numbers by 2 percent compared to the previous year.

In 2024, over 2.7 million people traveled with Scandlines. These figures underline that the ferry connection between Rostock and Gedser is of great importance not only for leisure traffic, but also for freight transport. Scandlines consistently pursues a sustainability strategy: emission-free ferry operations are to be implemented by 2040. A notable step in this direction is the planned commissioning of the first battery-electric cargo ferry on the Vogelfluglinie in 2025.

Innovative technologies on the Baltic Sea

The shipping company has already taken an important step into the future. Scandlines has been using hybrid drives since 2013 and has recognized the advantages of rotor sails. These more modern ferries, such as the Copenhagen and Berlin, are equipped with rotating cylinders that use the Magnus effect to propel the ships forward using the wind. This reduces the CO2 emissions of hybrid ferries by an average of four percent. According to scandlines.de, the conditions on the Rostock-Gedser route are particularly favorable for the use of this technology as it is almost perpendicular to the prevailing wind directions.

A particularly impressive detail: the rotating cylinder of the rotor sails is around 30 meters high. This maritime wind technology, developed by the Finnish company Norsepower, has already proven itself under commercial conditions and contributes significantly to energy efficiency.

Scandlines and the commitment to sustainability

Scandlines has not only established itself as a transport service provider, but also as a pioneer in environmental awareness. The company has been an official TourCert Qualified Partner since May 2025 and actively promotes sustainable tourism in the Rostock region. A remote-controlled model of the hybrid ferry “Berlin” is on display in the Rostock Maritime Museum, which symbolizes Scandlines’ innovative strength.

The shipping industry is facing a turning point: the trend is clearly moving towards electric motors. In Germany, for example, projects that rely on environmentally friendly drives are booming. For example, the Mondorf Rhine ferry near Bonn recently switched to electric motors that run on renewable electricity. Such developments show that shipping can make an important contribution to reducing CO2 emissions. According to forecasts, CO2 emissions in the maritime industry could be reduced by up to 30 percent by 2030 dw.com.

As Scandlines proves, the future of shipping lies in the combination of cutting-edge technology and sustainable thinking. With the tailwind that the current figures bring, the plans for emission-free ferry operations could be implemented quickly, so that all travelers can also look forward to a green crossing on the Baltic Sea in the future.