After its inauguration last September, the Port of Calais opened its new terminal on the evening of Sunday, October 31. In order to mark this milestone in the Port of Calais’ history, the first passengers were welcomed in a festive atmosphere.
The Tersan Shipyard built HAVILA CAPELLA has been delivered to Havila Kystruten (Havila Voyages). The ship is on its way to Norway, where she will start her sailings on the traditional coastal route from Bergen on 1 December.
The owner says the ship has the world’s largest battery pack, with an autonomy of four hours.
Next ship will be delivered in January. Ships three and four arrive in the summer of 2022.
Havila Voyages is headquartered in Fosnavåg on Sunnmøre, and more than half of the shares are owned by the Sævik family.
27 January 2022: The larger ropax EUROPALINK will replace the current FINNFELLOW on the route, increasing cargo capacity by an additional 1,200 metres. (4,200m in total).
EUROPALINK will operate on the route together with FINNSWAN, making 14 calls a week at Port of Kapellskär.
At the beginning of November, a complete renovation of the roro berth at quay 609 in the Brittanniana dock in Port of Zeebrugge will start.
The jetty will be renovated and widened to accommodate CLdN’s larger H5 roro’s. This will allow CLdN to use H5 vessels on all UK desitinations.
There will be no impact on the services to the UK during the four months of renovation work.
How will it work?
Drivers will still check-in as normal and will be allowed to embark on the next available ferry, this could be a DFDS or P&O vessel.
Sailing schedules have been re-planned: truck drivers will be able to get on a ferry every 37 minutes.
Exceptions: hazardous goods, plug ins, out of gauge vehicles, horses, pets, livestock.
In October 2021, AS Tallink Grupp transported:
412,046 passengers (+153.9%)
34,138 cargo units (+22.8%)
63,923 passenger cars (+37.4%)
Initially scheduled on 1 November 2021, the launch of the new shipping line between the port of Calais and the port of Tilbury has been postponed to the first quarter of 2022.
“Due to a failure of our partners, Blue Channel Line has been forced to postpone the launch of its line.” Blue Channel Line was going to charter a Suardiaz vessel.
Group Results (1 January – 31 August)
+Revenue SEK 1,624 million (SEK 1,393 million)
+Operating profit SEK 193 million (SEK 115 million)
+Profit after financial items SEK 219 million (SEK 129 million)
Ferry
+43% passengers
The improvement in earnings is largely due to more travellers and visitors to and from Gotland. Demand for travel has increased after the authorities eased the corona restrictions.
The newly started ferry line between Nynäshamn and Rostock which is operated by Hansa Destinations AB is a long-term investment that in the long run can contribute to the group’s result.
The Kattegat’s three fast ferries have been busy like never before in the autumn holidays.
A new record has been set.
- Pax: 143,331 (117,689 passengers in the same period 2020, and in 2019 the figure was the previous record of 132,264 passengers)
- Cars: 47,271 (38,546 cars in 2020. In 2019, the number of cars was 42,031)
After the first year, FRS draws a positive conclusion about the takeover of the Elbfähre Glückstadt Wischhafen.
- First steps towards digitalization: new sales system + onboard card payment.
- The takeover by FRS took place in the middle of the pandemic: difficult first seven months due to lockdowns.
- Since June 1, the four ferries have been running for the first time since the start of the pandemic to the same extent as they were last time in March 2020.
- Since August, the transport volume have also been back to pre-Corona levels.
Future
FRS Elbfähre has developed a concept paper that sets up the future of the ferry line with green mobility for northern Germany.
- Emission-free ferry operation is possible with new propulsion technologies of the existing ships, or with newbuildings.
- Relocating the ferry pier in Wischhafen could also reduce the crossing time and thus increase the number of departures.
- FRS is in talks with politicians and the nature conservation associations BUND and NABU to discuss the alternatives to the A20 Elbe Tunnel project. “This project is not justifiable for ecological, financial or economic reasons,” says FRS. (see the statement in German on the FRS website).
- The silting up of the Wischhafener Süderelbe represents a major challenge in ferry traffic. Due to the deepening of the Elbe, among other things, the side arm of the Elbe is silting up more and more, making smooth ferry operations increasingly difficult.
