Shipping belongs to HGDF, like the fjord belongs to Flensburg. The participation in the Förde Reederei GmbH has therefore always been an obvious and rewarding connection for us. Since 1998, the FRS GmbH & Co. KG has existed as a joint venture with Seetouristik Beteiligungs-GmbH.
Over the past few decades, FRS has developed from a regional duty-free shipping company into an internationally active group of companies. It is one of the leading ferry specialists in Europe. With around 70 ships and more than 1,500 employees, the group and its numerous subsidiaries now transport a total of 7.9 million passengers and 2.1 million vehicles on national and international shipping routes.
Fast and save to Helgoland with the high-speed catamaran
The company's history dates back to 1866. Currently, the portfolio of FRS, which is based in northern Germany, includes numerous subsidiaries based in Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and North America.
Subsidiaries (extract)
FRS operates in 14 countries, making it the most international ferry company in the world. The Ferries connect Spain and Morocco, operate between the Germany and Sweden as well as between the United States and Canada. They carry people and vehicles in Oman, sail to Sylt and Helgoland, and operate along the coast of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, als well as in Helsinki and as feeders in offshore wind farms. FRS´s business model also includes ship management, consulting, and vessel operation.
Underway even in difficult conditions.
Respecting our special knowledge, we have been able to expand our ferry business in full agreement and on an equal footing. The special trust in our cooperation is demonstrated by HGDF especially in challenging situations.
The FRS fleet consists of a wide variety of vessels: High-speed catamarans (HSC), solar-powered ferries, traditional passenger vessels, water cabs, and conventional RoRo and RoPax vessels. FRS has been operating solar-powered electric ferries in Berlin since 2014. 40 percent of the energy needed to operate these ships is provided directly by the sun each year. This means the ships save around 22.2 t of CO₂ per year. Since 2015, two more solar-powered e-ferries have supplemented the fleet.
Solar-powered driving in Berlin
The newest member of the FRS fleet are the two HSCs "Skane Jet" and "Levante Jet", which have been connecting Sweden and Germany and Spain and Marocco respectively since 2021/2022.