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sandra

Aug 08
3

Brittany Ferries Boosts Ireland Service with Daily Rosslare Link

By | 2025 Newsletter week 32 | No Comments
  • Brittany Ferries will launch a daily Cherbourg–Rosslare service from October 2025.
  • Follows withdrawal of Stena Line and increased demand for freight and passenger services.
  • Freight traffic on the route rose by 114% since its 2021 launch, reaching 18,233 units.
  • Passenger numbers grew 40% in 2024, totalling 45,700.

Fleet Deployment (subject to seasonal rotation):

  • October: COTENTIN, SALAMANCA, CLIPPER
  • November: GALICIA, SALAMANCA, ARMORIQUE
  • December–March: GALICIA, SALAMANCA, COTENTIN
  • This rotation boosts combined freight and passenger capacity by 25%.

Stakeholder Statements:

  • Jean-Marc Roué (Chairman): Praises trust from Rosslare and Cherbourg ports; highlights crew and staff dedication.
  • Christophe Mathieu (CEO): Sees this as a step forward in Atlantic Arc connectivity and intermodal logistics.
  • Philippe Deiss (Ports of Normandy): Underlines importance of maintaining balanced RoRo/Pax services post-Brexit.
  • Glenn Carr (Rosslare Europort): Welcomes the expansion, noting a sixfold increase in direct EU links since Brexit.
Aug 08
3

Final Green Light for Strait of Messina Bridge

By | 2025 Newsletter week 32 | No Comments
  • Italy’s government has approved the long-awaited bridge project linking Sicily to the mainland.
  • The 3.7km suspension bridge will be the world’s longest single-span bridge, surpassing Turkey’s Canakkale Bridge.
  • Construction is expected to start in the second half of 2025.
  • First proposed in the 1960s, the project has faced decades of delays due to environmental concerns, seismic risks, cost issues, and fears of mafia infiltration.
  • Estimated cost: €13.5 billion.
  • Rome intends to classify the project as “defence spending”, underlining its strategic value.
  • Supporters argue it will drive economic growth in southern Italy.
Aug 08
3

Viking Line Threatens Åland Exit Over Subsidy Cut Wasaline Also Sends Warning Signals

By | 2025 Newsletter week 32 | No Comments
  • Viking Line is considering moving operations from Åland to Sweden following a proposed change to Finland’s shipping subsidy rules.
  • Finland’s Finance Minister Riikka Purra has announced that service personnel will no longer be included in manning support.
  • The move could save the state €36 million, but Viking Line’s Information Director Johanna Boijer-Svahnström called it “a cold shower” and warned of “drastic measures”.
  • The proposal is part of the 2026 budget bill and has raised serious concern within the Åland-based shipping community.
  • Wasaline CEO Peter Ståhlberg also warns of serious consequences if Finland’s Ministry of Finance proceeds with its plan to remove manning subsidies for ferry service personnel.
  • Ståhlberg predicts 90% of the Finnish-flagged merchant fleet could reflag to other countries if the cut is implemented.
  • “Finland is practically an island – we only share one land border with the EU. All other transport depends on the sea.”

Sources: yle.fi and Omni Ekonomi / Nya Åland

Aug 08
3

Port of Dover: Pioneering the World’s First High‑Volume Green Shipping Corridor

By | 2025 Newsletter week 32 | No Comments

The Port of Dover is spearheading the creation of the world’s first high‑volume Green Shipping Corridor on the UK–EU Short Straits route. (120 ferry movements per day and handling 33 % of UK–EU trade)

Green corridors were introduced at COP26, and now Dover offers a rare opportunity to scale them economically and practically due to its frequency, short distance, and key role in just‑in‑time logistics

Dover’s current grid capacity is just 4.5 MW. I is insufficient even for partial electrification. To support hybrid or electric ferries fully, the port would need upwards of 160 MW, transforming this into a major infrastructure project

Electrifying this corridor could not only help decarbonise a critical trade artery but also offer economic uplift. Dover already saves the UK economy an estimated £3 billion annually, and with upgrades, trade volume could stretch to £173 billion per year

The initiative could position the UK at the forefront of green maritime logistics, showcasing how clean shipping at scale can work—and prompting policy support and long-term investment.

Source: Politics Home

Aug 08
3

One Year VARSOVIA

By | 2025 Newsletter week 32 | No Comments

VARSOVIA, operated by Polish Baltic Shipping Company (Polferries), carried 109,329 passengers, 48,124 passenger cars, and 44,205 heavy goods vehicles during its first year on the Świnoujście–Ystad route. The ferry entered service on 27 July 2024, carrying nearly 500 passengers on its maiden voyage. Polferries took delivery of the vessel on 11 July 2024 from the Cantiere Navale Visentini shipyard near Venice. The ferry is on a 10-year charter, with a right of first refusal after six years.

Source: Portalmorski.pl

Aug 08
3

St Malo Becomes Guernsey’s Busiest Sea Route

By | 2025 Newsletter week 32 | No Comments
  • St Malo handled 45,000 Guernsey passengers in H1 2025, up from under 27,000 a year earlier.
  • Poole dropped to second place, despite a 3% increase to 41,000 passengers.
  • The French port of Dielette saw a 37% rise, reaching 5,700 passengers.
  • Overall passenger numbers at Guernsey harbour rose by 6%.
  • Growth follows Brittany Ferries becoming majority owner of Condor.
  • Direct France–Guernsey sailings and new day-trip-friendly schedules helped boost demand.
  • Private vehicles totalled 29,835, a marginal rise of 151 year-on-year.
  • St Malo vehicle traffic rose by 13% to 7,565.
  • Poole saw an 11% increase in cars; the Jersey route fell by 59%.

Source: Guernsey Press

Aug 01
3

Finnlines Financial Review January–June 2025

By | 2025 Newsletter week 31 | No Comments

Thomas Doepel, President and CEO:

“Fleet rationalisation and investment in passenger traffic are now paying off. Despite a weak freight market, reduced debt and lower interest rates have contributed to significantly better results.”

Key Figures (January–June 2025 vs 2024)

  • Revenue: EUR 351.9m (–2%)
  • EBITDA: EUR 84.5m (+1%)
  • EBIT: EUR 39.9m (+6%)
  • Result for the Period: EUR 36.3m (+50%)
  • Interest-Bearing Debt: EUR 313.7m (–150.4m)
  • Equity Ratio: 57.5% (up from 54.8%)

Operational Highlights

  • Cargo Units: 399,000 (–0.3%)
  • Cars: 37,000 (–21%)
  • Non-Unitised Freight: 584,000 tons (–11%)
  • Passengers (incl. drivers): 439,000 (+7%)

Strategic Developments

  • Green Lane service launched: 100% electric transport (Finland–Sweden) and biofuel use reduce emissions by up to 90%.
  • New RoPax Order: Three methanol-powered vessels for the Finland–Germany route in 2028–2029.
  • New Route: Gdynia added to North Sea rotation in June 2025.

Financial Notes

  • Operating Cash Flow: EUR 70.8m (+18%)
  • Capex: EUR 62.6m (up from EUR 8.8m)
  • Net Gearing: Improved to 41.6% (from 60.8%)

Market Outlook

  • Freight demand remains soft.
  • Passenger business shows strong recovery.
  • Full-year result expected to improve.
Aug 01
3

CLAUDIA MORACE Delivered to Liberty Lines

By | 2025 Newsletter week 31 | No Comments

Liberty Lines, the ferry company based in Trapani and owned by Ettore Morace and his family, has taken delivery of the seventh hybrid high-speed craft built by Astilleros Armon (Vigo, Spain), named CLAUDIA MORACE.

The vessel is part of an initial order for nine units and will arrive in Sicily in the coming weeks for the official christening ceremony.

These new high-speed ferries feature an integrated propulsion system with MTU Series 4000 engines from Rolls-Royce. The hybrid configuration allows the vessels to enter and leave ports with zero emissions. They can sail up to 8 knots in full-electric mode and reach 30 knots in cruise mode.

The system supports both traditional and electric propulsion. It results from close collaboration between Liberty Lines, Astilleros Armon, Rolls-Royce, RINA, and Incat Crowther.

Liberty Lines plans to order six additional high-speed craft from the same Spanish yard. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2027. These newbuilds will be sister ships to the nine ferries ordered in 2022.

Aug 01
3

OSK Design Behind World’s Largest Electric Catamarans for Molslinjen

By | 2025 Newsletter week 31 | No Comments

Molslinjen’s newly announced order for the world’s largest fully electric ferries marks a major leap in maritime electrification—and OSK Design is at the heart of it.

The two 129-metre electric catamarans, to be built by Incat in Australia, will operate on the busy Kattegat route and carry up to 1,483 passengers and 500 cars. Powered by 45,000 kWh battery systems, the vessels will sail at over 40 knots with zero emissions.

Danish design firm OSK Design provided both the concept and basic design, enabling full-electric operation on one of the world’s most demanding fast ferry corridors.

“This is not just a ship design—it’s a blueprint for the future,” said Jacob H. Thygesen, CEO of OSK Design.

Source: OSK Design