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sandra

Jul 11
3

DFDS June Volumes

By | 2025 Newsletter week 28 | No Comments

Ferry – freight:

  • Total volumes in June 2025 of 3.4m lane metres were 1.7%* below 2024 and down 3.7% adjusted for route changes.
  • YTD growth rates were -0.2% and -1.3%, respectively.
  • North Sea volumes were below 2024 driven primarily by a negative impact from a national strike in Sweden impacting Gothenburg port operations.
  • Mediterranean volumes were below 2024 following capacity reductions due to new ferry competition between Türkiye and Italy (Grimaldi).
  • Channel volumes were below 2024, adjusted for the new Jersey routes, partly due to a decrease in the total Dover Strait market.
  • Baltic Sea volumes were on level with 2024.
  • Strait of Gibraltar volumes were above 2024.

For the last twelve months 2025-24, the total transported freight lane metres increased 3.7% to 41.5m from 40.0m in 2024-23. The increase was 0.3% adjusted for route changes.

Ferry – passenger:

  • The number of passengers in June 2025 was adjusted for route changes** down 7.1% to 414k vs 2024 and the adjusted YTD growth rate was -4.4%.
  • The monthly decrease was driven by lower Channel volumes.
  • The number of cars in June was 9.3% below 2024 adjusted for route changes.

For the last twelve months 2025-24, the total number of passengers increased 10.4% to 6.1m compared to 5.5m for 2024-23. The growth rate was -0.7% adjusted for route changes.

*Adjusted for a correction to previous months of Strait of Gibraltar volumes reported in June 2024.

**Adjusted for sale of Oslo-Frederikshavn-Copenhagen end October 2025, Tarifa-Tanger Ville due to considerable capacity changes ahead of exit from route early June 2025, and addition of Jersey routes from end March 2025.

Jul 11
3

Molslinjen Sets New Record for Car Transport – Electric Vehicles Drive Growth

By | 2025 Newsletter week 28 | No Comments
  • First half of 2025: 645,859 cars transported on Molslinjen’s fast ferries between Jutland and Zealand – an all-time high
  • Surpasses the previous record set in 2022 by over 5,000 vehicles
  • Significant growth driven by electric vehicles
  • In June 2025, EVs accounted for 27.7% of all cars on board – up from 17.2% in June 2024
  • Overall share of EVs has risen by 10.5% in just one year

Lucas Kragh, Commercial Director at Molslinjen, notes:
“The ferry crossing clearly removes the well-known range anxiety among electric vehicle owners.”

Jul 11
3

Liberty Lines to Order Six More Fast Ferries from Armon Shipyard

By | 2025 Newsletter week 28 | No Comments

The Italian ferry company Liberty Lines, owned by Ettore Morace and his family, is set to place an order for six additional high-speed craft to be built at the Armon shipyard in Spain. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2027. These new vessels will be sister ships to the first series of nine fast ferries ordered in 2022, some of which have already been delivered.

This vessel model is the result of close collaboration between the technical teams of Liberty Lines, Armon Shipyard, Rolls-Royce, RINA, and Australian designers Incat Crowther.

Malta Shipbrokers International Ltd acted as broker for the deal.

The ferries will be equipped with an integrated propulsion system featuring Rolls-Royce’s MTU Series 4000 engines, providing both traditional and electric propulsion. This hybrid configuration will enable the vessels to enter and leave ports with zero emissions, sailing at up to 8 knots in full-electric mode and up to 30 knots in cruise mode.

During cruising, the batteries will be charged by the main engines. When docked for extended periods, the vessels will use cold ironing to recharge the batteries and keep onboard services fully operational.

The first craft has been awarded High-Speed Ferry of the Year 2024 at our Ferry Shipping Summit.

Jul 11
3

Estonian State Fleet Relaunches Procurement for New Ferry

By | 2025 Newsletter week 28 | No Comments

The Estonian State Fleet held an information day last week for companies interested in the renewed public procurement of a new ferry.

  • Four foreign and three Estonian-owned companies participated.
  • The event covered project funding, ferry requirements, service routes, and procurement details, including criteria, documentation, and timeline.
  • Participant questions were answered on-site.

Interested companies must confirm their participation by submitting a request via the Estonian Public Procurement Register by 21 July.

Background

  • The aim is to find a suitable contracting partner by the end of 2025.
  • The project is 65% financed by the EU Modernisation Fund (Energy-Efficient Low-Emission Public Transport Programme).
  • Estonia will contribute around 35% of the total cost.
  • Since 2021, two previous procurement attempts failed due to global inflation, raw material shortages, and rising shipbuilding costs.
  • The initial €40 million budget, set in 2021, has become outdated as ship prices have risen by nearly 50%.
  • The last procurement was cancelled in March after all four bids exceeded the budget.

This is the third attempt to implement the country’s 5th ferry project.

Source: www.riigilaevastik.ee

Jul 11
3

CGT Union Alarmed Over Possible Sale of La Méridionale

By | 2025 Newsletter week 28 | No Comments

The CGT union representing La Méridionale employees has expressed deep concern following press reports of a possible sale of the ferry company by its owner CMA CGM.

In an open letter, the union urges CMA CGM Chairman and CEO Rodolphe Saadé to reconsider any plan to sell and requests a direct meeting with him.

The CGT also criticises the strategic choices made by CMA CGM since acquiring the company in 2023, blaming them for the current instability.

Key complaints include:

  • Launching routes outside the public service delegation (DSP).
  • Poor management of the Maghreb service, which reportedly cost the company 20% of its passenger revenue, benefiting competitors like GNV.
  • The short-lived Île-Rousse line, cancelled after six months with heavy financial losses.

The union has also asked Jean-Félix Acquaviva, the newly appointed president of the Corsican Transport Office, to clarify his stance.

Around 600 employees are still awaiting official communication, as CMA CGM has not yet responded.

Jul 11
3

Attica Group Publishes Its 16th Sustainability Report

By | 2025 Newsletter week 28 | No Comments

Attica Group has released its 16th Responsible and Sustainable Development Report, confirming its commitment to ESG performance and sustainable growth.

Key highlights from the 2024 report include:

  • Global ESG Recognition: For the second consecutive year, Attica Group was ranked among the top 23% of global transportation companies by S&P Global’s Corporate Sustainability Assessment. Its ESG score improved by 19.4% compared to 2023.
  • Decarbonisation Roadmap: The Group remains on track to reduce CO₂ emissions per mile by 14% by 2030 (vs. 2019), implementing a multi-layered strategy aligned with international climate goals.
  • Climate Risk Disclosure: First Greek company to include a Climate Change Study in its financial statements, incorporating short-, medium-, and long-term scenarios (+1.5°C, +2°C, +3°C).
  • Social Impact: Distributed €974.5 million in total economic value, a 43.2% increase year-on-year. Discounted ferry tickets offered for social programmes rose from 120,000 (2023) to 320,000 (2024).
  • Human Capital: Over 14,000 hours of staff training delivered in 2024.
  • Corporate Social Responsibility: Active support programmes were implemented in 100% of the Greek islands the company serves.
  • Governance: A 91% increase in published governance indicators since 2018, with continued alignment to global best practices.
Jul 11
3

Rosslare and Dunkirk Receive €19.2 Million EU Support for Climate-Resilient Infrastructure

By | 2025 Newsletter week 28 | No Comments

Rosslare Europort and Port of Dunkirk have secured funding through the EU’s Connecting Europe Facility (CEF)!

The €19.2 million investment will support:

  • Extension and upgrade of Berth 3 at Rosslare to handle larger vessels
  • New RoRo ramps and berth developments at Rosslare
  • Onshore power supply in both ports to cut emissions

Source: www.gov.ie

Source: European Commission Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) programme.

Jul 11
3

EU Co-Funding of €22 Million for Hansalink 3 Between Helsinki and Lübeck-Travemünde

By | 2025 Newsletter week 28 | No Comments

The project concerns the development of the short-sea shipping link between the port of Helsinki the port of Lübeck-Travemünde, both located on the TEN-T core network. The main benefit of the project will be improved passenger and freight traffic at both terminals, as well as upgraded digital port infrastructure and shore-side electricity infrastructure.

Source: www.portofhelsinki.fi

Jul 11
3

Port of Dubrovnik Gets €18.6 EU Support for New Berths

By | 2025 Newsletter week 28 | No Comments

The project concerns the construction of two new berths in the Port of Dubrovnik. The main benefit of the project will be reduced congestion and improved port efficiency by removing a current infrastructure bottleneck. This will contribute to cohesion by enhancing accessibility and connectivity for the region through maritime links.

Source: European Commission Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) programme.

Jul 11
3

EU Approves EMS Project Hanko-Rostock

By | 2025 Newsletter week 28 | No Comments

The European Commission has approved the joint infrastructure project Rostock Port – Port of Hanko under the CEF Transport Call 2024.

Together, the ports will invest nearly €30 million to enhance maritime and intermodal transport capacity. Around €14 million of that will be allocated to Rostock, with 50% co-financing from the EU.

In Rostock, the project includes:

  • Extension of the intermodal terminal tracks to 680 m to strengthen rail freight.
  • Construction of new pre-staging areas and optimisation of logistics flows.

These upgrades will significantly boost multimodal transport, support climate-friendly logistics, and reinforce the maritime corridor between Finland and continental Europe.

Source: European Commission Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) programme.