COPENHAGEN, March 26 (Xinhua) -- Danish ferry operator Scandlines has been sold to a British consortium First State Investments and Hermes Investment Management for 1.7 billion euros (2.11 billion U.S. dollars), the company announced on Monday.

3i Group, the current owner of Scandlines, now owns 35 percent of the company, while First State Investment and Hermes Investment Management own 50.1 percent and 14.9 percent respectively.

The three shareholders want to support Scandlines' continued growth, including further investment in green technology, and have said in a statement they will continue to support management in delivering good customer service, safe operation and further optimizing green initiatives.

"I have been very pleased with the cooperation with 3i to transform the company and develop its growth potential. I am looking forward to working with the new owners. Scandlines is a great company with dedicated employees; we will all benefit from this long-term investment," said Scandlines CEO Soren Poulsgaard Jensen.

Headquartered in Copenhagen, Scandlines operates two short ferry routes between Denmark and Germany with more than 42,000 departures annually.