A company promises that super-fast electric ferries will operate on the Spree from 2025. However, it is likely to have difficulties obtaining approval.
Will there soon be “flying” electric ferries across the Berlin Spree? That is at least the promise of the Swedish ferry manufacturer Candela. In a press release, the company announced that the ferries will run on a five-kilometer route between the East Side Gallery and the Funkhaus Berlin from 2025. The project is a partnership between Candela, the Funkhaus and the Riedel shipping company. The company offers Spree tours for tourists.
According to the manufacturer, the Candela P-12, which will be used on the Spree, is the world’s fastest electric ship. Its cruising speed is about 40 kilometers per hour.
Due to the special technology used to float the enclosed ferry over the water, it would not cause waves despite its high speed. Tests for regular ferry service with the P-12 are due to start in Stockholm in October. The boats have space for 30 passengers on board.
However, the high speed of the ferries that the company promises could prove to be a problem for the project, as the vessels do not yet have a permit for the Spree.
The Waterways and Shipping Authority told the “Tagesspiegel”: “Such a permit cannot be granted for traffic reasons at the intended speed.” There is currently a speed limit of 10 kilometers per hour on the waterways within Berlin.
