Wallenius SOL expands its service by strengthening the fleet with a sixth vessel: TRANSFIGHTER.
She will be deployed in a bi-weekly service on the Oulu – Kokkola – Antwerp – Zeebrugge leg while also adding Port of Rauma as loading port.
Rederi AB Gotland starts a technology development company called Gotland Tech Development. The new company will drive the development towards more sustainable technology solutions and a maritime transport system without carbon dioxide emissions. The company aims to work partner-based with a focus on new technology development for maritime industries but will also look at broader collaborations in the transport, energy and fuel areas.
On April 24, Grimaldi Lines’ ZEUS PALACE replaced fleetmate CRUISE BONARIA) on the Patras – Ancona line. The ship had an extensive refit on the Turkish Besiktas Shipyards before entering service.
CRUISE BONARIA will be introduced on the Salerno-Palermo-Cagliari line on May 4.
- On April 19, Terschellinger Stoomboot Maatschappij (TSM)’ ferry MIDSLAND was officially transferred to her new Greek Owners (Atlantides Group).The small ferry from 1974 left the Dutch port of Harlingen on April 24 and currently is on her way to Greece.
She will probably serve on the Piraeus – Saronic Gulf Islands.
- Daily panoramic tours on the Tagus River in Portugal’s capital city begin May 15th
- FRS won a 5-year tender from the tourism organization “Associação de Turismo de Lisboa” (ATL) to operate one of eight ticket offices at a new pier on the Tagus River, located in the heart of Lisbon.
- FRS’ latest subsidiary, FRS Portugal, will offer guests up to four daily round-trip river tours including a special “Sunset Cruise”.
Successful Launch For Eco-Sustainable Hybrid Ro-Ro Vessel FINNECO I
An important milestone in Finnlines’ EUR 0.5 billion green Newbuilding Programme has been reached as the first vessel in the three ro-ro vessels series was launched at the Nanjing Jinling Shipyard on 26 April 2021.
FINNECO I will be heading on the Finnlines’ Biscay–North Sea–Baltic Sea service at the turn of the year. Respectively the second and third vessel in the series, FINNECO II and FINNECO III, will be delivered in 2022.
- Length: 238m
- Breadth: 34m
- DWT metric tons: 17,400
- Cargo capacity: 5,800 lane metres & 5,800m2 of car decks & about 520 TEU on weather deck
- Flexible for all type of ro-ro cargo
- Highest Finnish / Swedish ice class 1A Super
Tirrenia in Amministrazione Straordinaria, the State-controlled ‘bad company’ creditor of EUR 180 million (the sale price partially unpaid), revealed that Moby has rejected the last proposal of debt restructuring put on the table.
However, both parties involved in the matter seem to come closer to a positive ending. They have already agreed some of the terms: only 80% of the EUR 180 million credit will be refunded, with a first payment (20% of this sum) this year and the remaining part in 2024.
It’s still missing an agreement on the loan guarantees.
Last week, Milan’s public prosecutors submitted a bankruptcy request for Moby’s subsidiary Compagnia Italiana di navigazione (CIN), the court will take a decision on May 6. When filing its ‘concordato’ proposal, Moby confirmed its intention to present an out-of-court restructuring plan for CIN and said that the CIN filing had been postponed by a few days to allow for conclusion of the negotiations with the administrators of Tirrenia AS (which is in extraordinary administration).
DFDS and CLdN have sold ships to each other, and chartered them back.
- Ship: MELEQ renamed ACACIA SEAWAYS (Lithuania).
- Ownership: from CLdN to DFDS.
- Charter: ACACIA SEAWAYS has been chartered back for continued operation on CLdN’s Zeebrugge-Purfleet-Esbjerg route.
- Remark: she is a sistership of GARDENIA SEAWAYS and TULIPA SEAWAYS (Vlaardingen – Felixstowe)
- Ship: GOTHIA SEAWAYS renamed MAXINE (Isle of Man).
- Ownership: from DFDS to CLdN.
- Charter: MAXINE has been chartered back to DFDS for continued service in DFDS’ Baltic network during April-May and is expected to join DFDS’s new Calais – Sheerness freight-only service scheduled to commence on 1 June.
- Remark: She is one of the 3 Wagenborg vessels which were built for the StoraEnso Zeebrugge – Göteborg service. A company within the CLdN sphere owns sister vessel SOMERSET (operated by Stena Line).
- Ship: UNDINE renamed LIDER TRABZON.
- Ownership: from CLdN to unknown.
Ferry NESVIK left the Westcon Yards to start its career with Norled.
The electric ferry has been designed by LMG Marin. It will be used on Hjelmeland-Nesvik-Skipavikis. This is a ferry route which crosses the Hjelmelandsfjord and Ombofjord in Rogaland, Norway.
NESVIK is the sister ferry to HYDRA, which is also being built at Westcon. Both vessels are designed to use as little energy as possible. HYDRA will be the world’s first hydrogen-powered ferry, but NESVIK can also be upgraded to hydrogen in the long term.
