We were commissioned by Schifffahrtsgesellschaft des Vierwaldstättersees (SGV) AG to electrify the motor vessel Rütli (eMS Rütli for short) during the winter of 2023/24

The diesel engine of the motor vessel, which was commissioned in 1929, was replaced by a powerful electric motor and the necessary batteries were installed to store energy.

The first scheduled trip with the eMS Rütli will take place on 25 May 2024. From then on, the ship will continue to operate mainly in the Lucerne lake basin as a pleasure boat and city boat.

The electrification of the eMS Rütli aims to reduce the consumption of conventional diesel in the fleet and thus contribute to reducing CO2 emissions. SGV has set itself the goal of reducing the proportion of fossil fuels used in its scheduled boats by 20% by 2026 compared to 2019. With an investment of over one million Swiss francs for the electrification of the eMS Rütli, SGV AG is reaffirming its commitment to environmentally friendly technologies.

Conversion of the ship at Shiptec AG in Lucerne

The decision to equip the eMS Rütli with an electric drive system was a conscious one. As the lightest and smallest ship in the fleet, combined with its use on shorter, slower journeys, it is ideally suited for use with electric propulsion.

As a leading provider of ships with low-emission or CO2-neutral propulsion systems and as a supplier of corresponding systems, Shiptec AG is able to use its expertise in development and construction to successfully implement innovative solutions for energy- and emission-saving or emission-free propulsion systems.

The conversion of the eMS Rütli is not the first renewal of this kind in the SGV fleet: Shiptec AG has already built motor ships such as MS Diamant or MS Bürgenstock with modern hybrid drives, or is planning to convert the MS Saphir to a hydrogen fuel cell drive in winter 2025/26.

Film: Electric motor ship Rütli