The First Movers series puts the spotlight on those maritime companies that have been among the first to take the plunge on decarbonisation by trialling and adopting alternative fuels or green technologies. 

This series goes beyond the initial and optimistic big announcements and headlines and asks what happens in the months and years that follow. It aims to unpick the tangible results achieved and the practical challenges faced by these decarbonisation pioneers. 

As the series develops, we will interrogate the concept of a ‘first mover advantage’. How does being a trailblazer deliver in terms of achieving commercial success, developing cutting edge technology, and driving the energy transition forwards? With the benefit of hindsight, would these companies take the same decisions again or would their strategies be very different?

In this first episode of First Movers, Ariane Morrissey is joined by Rasmus Nielsen, Naval Architect and Officer at Scandlines, a ferry company that operates routes between Denmark and Germany. Rasmus was involved throughout the preparation, installation, and performance evaluation of rotor sails on M/V Copenhagen in 2020, and on M/V Berlin two years later. 

In this interview, he reveals how the company started small to test the technology, document performance and solve any teething issues – and how being a first mover paid off, with the wind propulsion system genuinely delivering the 4-5% average emissions reductions that were promised in the project. 

Rasmus also reflects on the challenges faced by first movers who pioneer technologies before regulation and rules are fully ready, and how Scandlines successfully jumped through those administrative hoops to install battery systems on board back in 2013. 

He believes that new regulation including EU ETS and FuelEU Maritime will make it inevitable for other companies to follow the path paved by first movers, arguing that doing nothing will also have a cost.