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Autonomous test ferry embarked on first major voyage
The "Wavelab" has departed from Kiel on June 2, 2026. The autonomous test ferry from the "Captn Förde Area" project embarked on its first major voyage to Rostock to attend a conference on autonomous shipping. The "Wavelab" will demonstrate its capabilities at the 3rd Conference on New Technologies and Test Fields of the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency. The "Wavelab," along with the slightly smaller "Nova" on the Rhine, is considered one of the test vessels for the future technology of autonomous shipping. The "Wavelab" was underway for two days. Similar to electric cars, charging infrastructure also played a role. The 320-kilowatt-hour battery packs weren't sufficient for the approximately 100 nautical miles from Kiel to Rostock. In Burg upon Fehmarn the batteries were recharged. When the ship was traveling at its full power of ten knots, the engines needed about 100 kilowatt-hours. If the speed was reduced to seven knots, the consumption was only about 30 kilowatt-hours. Throughout the entire voyage, the "Wavelab" was driven from the Anschütz shipyard in Kiel-Wik. However, a skipper was on board for safety reasons. A container storage area was added on deck behind the bridge ahead of the voyage The container served as cargo space for equipment and a generator. If the batteries should unexpectedly run out en route, the "Wavelab's" electric motors can be powered by the generator. The next test will take place on the return trip on June 18. Report with photo: https://www.kn-online.de/lokales/kiel/autonome-faehre-wavelab-ist-mit-container-an-deck-nach-rostock-72E2XATKRJC2RJIQFSJU573ZBU.html
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