CSSC (Hong Kong) Shipping Company Limited publicly announced that on 10 May 2023 a sale & lease back agreement with Fratelli Onorato Armatori, company part of Moby, has been sealed for the two newly built ferries MOBY FANTASY and MOBY LEGACY.
MOBY FANTASY has just been delivered in May and is now en route to Italy.
MOBY LEGACY is expected to be delivered by August 2023.
LR wrote on its website that it has appointed Michele Landro to its newly created role of Vice President, head of passenger ships segment, where he will lead the segment at a global level, supporting its long-term sustainable growth and providing strategic direction while nurturing key client relationships and industry networks.
Landro, who has a technical background including a master’s degree in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering from the University of Genoa, has 15 years’ experience in the maritime sector.
Besides Cruise, Landro will also focus on Ferries and Ro-Ro ships.
Port of Hirtshals has entered into a partnership with the energy company E.ON, one of Denmark’s largest suppliers of green power for electric cars, which means that a number of different types of charging stations are set up at the port.
Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL) has announced ISLE OF ISLAY and LOCH INDAAL as the names for the two new ferries to serve Islay and Jura following a public vote.
Delivery expected towards the end of 2024 for vessel one, and early 2025 for vessel two.
The two new ferries will have a clear focus on freight, as well as sufficient passenger accommodation: 450 passengers and 100 cars, or 14 commercial vehicles. This will provide a combined 40% increase in vehicle and freight capacity on the Islay routes and will improve the overall resilience of the wider fleet.
The Islay ferries form part of a programme of investment by CMAL, funded through Scottish Government commitments to capital investment of around £700 million in ferry infrastructure and related services over the five years from 2021 to 2026.
Wider plans will deliver other new small and major vessels for the fleet and upgrades of harbour infrastructure with future options being considered through the emerging Islands Connectivity Plan.
To continue with the delivery of vessel 802 by the Scottish Ferguson Marine Port Glasgow Limited (FMPG) shipyard, the Director General Economy requested Written Authority from the Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy on 13 May 2023.
In other words, he asked if yes or no severely delayed vessel 802 should be finished.
Answer from Neil Gray (Member of Scottish Parliament / Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy)
“Delivery of Vessel 802 is in the clear interest of our island communities that the vessel will serve and the community of Inverclyde. It is also in our national economic interest to preserve, enhance and develop our shipbuilding industry.”
Tallink Grupp is the first Estonian company to join international technology giant ABB’s global sustainability movement, Energy Efficiency Movement, the aim of which is to enhance environmental protection through increased energy efficiency and emissions reduction projects and activities.
Read more here.
Photo (left to right): Jukka Patrikainen, ABB and Captain Tarvi-Carlos Tuulik, Tallink Grupp
CADENA 3 will be used by GNV on the Sicily route, to shift cargo from the RoPax ships to this RoRo during the busy summer months.
In Greece, Ekathimerini.com wrote that “the exchange agreement between Marfin Investment Group (MIG) and Strix Holdings was signed on Friday 12 May, whereby the former gives the latter Attica Group shares corresponding to 79.4% of the shipping company’s share capital, against loans of 443.8 million euros of MIG held by Strix.
In Spain, Trasmed Grimaldi and Insotel Marine Group create the Ferry Alliance.
The objective of both companies is “to enrich the global travel proposal for the Balearic market.”
Insotel Marine Group (part of Insotel Hotel Group) has ferry operators Trasmapi, Menorca Lines, Formentera Lines and Formentera Cargo in its portfolio. They operate between Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera.
The Ferry Alliance connects the Trasmed routes from the Iberic Peninsular with the island routes. [economiademallorca.com]
In Mexico, Baja Ferries received its largest ship, the CALIFORNIA STAR, which docked at the Pichilingue port in La Paz. [t21.com.mx]
This former RoRo is now a RoPax after spending nine months at the Viktor Lenac Shipyard in Croatia.
New capacities: 2,850 lane metres | 400 passengers | 37 cabins | 2 seating areas | 2 restaurants.
CALIFORNIA STAR is the former HUMBER VIKING, EUROCARGO SICILIA.
Financial information for the first four months of 2023
Recent Developments
Winston Framework
ICG expects 2023 will see a continuation of the trend of freight customers returning to the landbridge and we are hopeful that the Windsor Framework will remove the distortion from the non-implementation of the Northern Ireland Protocol.
ICG welcomes recent calls for the establishment of Green Lanes on ferry routes between the UK and the Republic of Ireland, for traffic destined for Northern Ireland. ICG believes that the arrangements proposed for Northern Ireland – Great Britain trade can be equally applied to allow trade to route via the Republic of Ireland. If a trader can be trusted to enter Northern Ireland and not enter the Republic of Ireland, then it would appear logical that the trader can be equally trusted to enter via the Republic of Ireland and go directly to Northern Ireland. This would allow Northern Ireland goods to travel via the shortest, most efficient, and environmentally friendly route. ICG has written to both the Irish Government and the European Union to urge them to consider the introduction of this proposal.
May 2023
