Swedish LNG Ship Completes Maiden Call in Lübeck

The Lübeck Port Authority (LHG) welcomes the new fleet member of Wallenius SOL (WSAB) at its quays: The “Botnia Enabler” docked for the first time at the Travemünde Scandinavia Quay on July 17. The Dutch tug “Argus” honored her with a spectacular fountain.

(Lübeck) The LNG-powered vessel is considered the largest ice-class RoRo ship in the world. As a specialized carrier, WSAB will primarily transport forestry products, steel, machinery, and plant components. An emissions-reduced drive, a well-balanced design, and a relatively low weight provide the newbuild with very good energy efficiency.

The “Botnia Enabler” connects Lübeck-Travemünde with the North Sea and the Nordic countries of Finland and Sweden. With a length of 242 meters, it can accommodate 5,800 loading meters. This makes it significantly larger than its predecessors on this route. Expected to join by the end of August is its sister ship, the “Baltic Enabler,” which will also commence service on this route.

LHG Managing Director Ortwin Harms: “We are pleased that WSAB is coming to Lübeck with these two new, larger ships, and we see this as a great vote of confidence in the capabilities of the location.” With over 90 weekly departures, the Lübeck quays play a central role in the network of maritime traffic across the Baltic Sea.

The “Enabler sisters” are not the only new builds reaching the LHG facilities this year. In April, the brand new LNG ship Nils Holgersson of TT-Line docked for the first time at the Scandinavia Quay. It serves the route Travemünde – Trelleborg.

Photo: © Bernd Pagel