An e-parcel boat on the Spree
In Berlin, DHL has put an electrically powered solar ship into service. The vessel is 10.50 m long and 2.50 m wide. By using photovoltaics on the ship's roof, sufficient electricity can be generated for propulsion and on-board power. For times without sunshine, the energy is stored in batteries.
The ship has a propulsion power of five kilowatts and thus reaches up to 12 km per hour. With sunshine, the journey time is unlimited; without sunshine, the ship can travel for six to eight hours.
The consignments begin their journey at the Börnicke parcel centre near Nauen. From there, a lorry brings four to five parcel wagons with a total of up to 250 parcels to the southern port of Spandau. These are loaded onto the solar ship and transported to the Westhafen within around 100 minutes. From the Westhafen, the parcels are then further transported to the customers by eco-friendly means - with electric cargo bikes. (sh)