MF Tycho Brahe

	Tycho Brahe in 2007
History
Name	1991 onwards: Tycho Brahe
Operator	1991-1998: DSB; 1998 onwards: Scandlines;
Port of registry	1991 onwards: Helsingør, Denmark
Builder	Langsten Slip & Båtbyggeri, Tomrefjord, Norway
Yard number	156
Launched	1991
Identification	IMO number: 9007116
Status	In service
General characteristics
Tonnage	11,148 GT
Length	111.20 m (364 ft 10 in)
Beam	28.20 m (92 ft 6 in)
Draught	5.50 m (18 ft 1 in)
Installed power	Electric
Propulsion	4×1.5 MW
Speed	14.5 knots
Capacity	1,250 passengers; 240 cars;

M/F Tycho Brahe is a Danish battery-electric car-ferry, that operates on the HH Ferry route between Helsingør, Denmark and Helsingborg, Sweden, a distance of just 5 km. M/F Tycho Brahe has been in use since 1991. The ship is bidirectional, therefore it can change direction without turning around, so no time is lost for this. The ship is also able to accelerate and decelerate quite quickly to and from her maximum speed of 14 knots.

The ship is named after the Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe. M/F Tycho Brahe was built by Langsten Slip & Båtbyggeri in Tomrefjord, Norway. Currently, the ship is owned by Scandlines A/S and operated by ForSea (was Scandlines GmbH). Between 1991 and 1997, M/F Tycho Brahe was owned by DSB Rederi.

The ferry can carry 1250 passengers, and either 260 trucks, 240 cars or 9 passenger train coaches at one time. It was built with three railtracks inside, with a total length of 266 meters.

Conversion to electric

M/F Tycho Brahe has a sister ship, M/S Aurora af Helsingborg. The two ships were originally diesel-powered, but were converted in 2017 to full electric propulsion with 4 MWh batteries each, located between the chimneys. The batteries are recharged from land by a robot arm when docked,^[3] at 10.5 MW (10.5 kV, 600 Ampere) for 6 minutes in Denmark and 9 minutes in Sweden. Each trip uses about 1,175 kWh, and is scheduled to last 20 minutes similarly to the diesel ferries.^[4] Two of the four Wärtsilä-Vasa 6R32E diesel engines have been removed from each ship, with the other two as a backup system, not for daily operation.^[5]

Main specifications:

Length: 111 m/364 ft 2 in
Beam: 28,2 m/92 ft 6 in
Draft: 5,7 m/18 ft 8 in
Tonnage: 12000 gt
Machinery: 4 thrusters of 1.5 MW each, 4.1 MWh Li-ion batteries.^[6] Backup system: two-shaft, diesel, 3350 hp