Finance minister Martin Helme (EKRE) says the state may purchase a EUR 150-million stake in Estonian shipping line Tallink, following the economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic. The company’s CEO, Paavo Nõgene, said that this was perfectly conceivable.
Anek Lines’ EL. VENIZELOS was hit by Covid-19
Last week the existence of more than 120 cases of covid-19 among the 383 crew of the Anek Line’s EL. VENIZELOS was officially confirmed.
VENIZELOS was going to serve as a floating hotel for Navantia shipyard workers in Cadiz, who had undertaken the upgrade-transformation of CARNIVAL VICTORY. A project that was finally postponed, as the Spanish port authorities did not allow her to stay due to the outbreak of the pandemic.
A planned stop in Turkey (to disembark Turkish crewmembers) was refused by the authorities. As a result, the ship was forced to return to Piraeus.
Today, those people that were found Covid-9-positive are under quarantine for 14 days, on board. The rest of them were transferred to chartered hotels. The ship remains on charter to Miray International on behalf of Carnival.
HOLLANDIA SEAWAYS in Ghent
Because of a reduced service HOLLANDIA SEAWAYS stayed overnight in Ghent. This was a great opportunity for a sunrise picture.
BADJI MOKHTAR III is Afloat
Algérie Ferries’ new flagship BADJI MOKHTAR III was launched a few days ago. Designed by OSK-ShipTech, she is expected to be delivered before the end of 2020.
She is being built by the GSI shipyard.
Fifth DFDS Mega Freight Ferry on Sea Trial
Since February, the Chinese shipyards have been on halt due to the Coronavirus outbreak. The construction of the DFDS newbuildings has now resumed and last Sunday, 5 April, the fifth mega freight ferry went on sea trial.
Not yet named, she can be followed on MarineTraffic as JIN LING 86.
“Furlough”
A furlough (/ˈfɜːrloʊ/; from Dutch: verlof, “leave of absence”) is a temporary leave of employees due to special needs of a company or employer, which may be due to economic conditions at the specific employer or in the economy as a whole. These involuntary furloughs may be short or long term, and many of those affected may seek other temporary employment during that time.
(source: wikipedia)
HJELLESTAD in Service in Panoramic Wonderland
LMG Marin designed HJELLESTAD (LMG 16-DEH project) is now operational for its owner Norled on a multi-stops route South of Bergen between picturesques harbors of Hjellestad – Bjelkarøyna – Lerøyna & Klokkarvik. This is the first electric-ferry to operate this coastal route.
She can accommodate 16 cars (or 2 trucks) and 77 passengers within her pocket size of just 43m.
DFDS Wins New German Paper Contract
DFDS is to transport 50,000 tons of paper from the German Schoellershammer’s paper mill in Düren to the UK and Norway. The agreement includes both logistics and ferry as well as warehousing in Immingham.
- About 24.000 tons will be shipped from Zeebrugge to Immingham as StoRo cargo and stored in a warehouse in Immingham until required by the customer.
- 640 Trailer loads (16.000 tons) will be shipped as direct door-to-door deliveries in the UK by Logistics in the Netherlands using the Vlaardingen ‒ Immingham ferry route.
- Up to 400 Trailer loads (10.000 Tons) will be shipped as door-to-door transport to Norway by Logistics in Belgium, via the Ghent/Zeebrugge ‒ Gothenburg ferry routes.
Fjord Line has the intention to reflag one of its four vessels from the Danish DIS register to the Norwegian NOR register.
OSLOFJORD sails between Sandefjord (Norway) and Strömstad (Sweden), with 90% of the passengers being Norwegian.
“We are extremely happy with our Danish crew onboard and hope to find viable solutions together with the trade unions, should this intention eventually be acted upon”, says Rickard Ternblom, CEO of Fjord Line. “Further analysis work is now needed to determine whether the intention we today state should materialize as a firm decision down the road”, says Ternblom.
For the time being this decision only applies to OSOFJORD.
es.
On Thursday 26 March 2020, Flensburger Shipbuilders handed over roro vessel LIEKUT to SIEM Europe.
It is the eight roro built by FSG for this customer.
Under the current C19 circumstances, FSG has temporarily suspended operations and production since 19 March.
Below photo shows ropax HONFLEUR, under construction for Brittany Ferries.
Chinese media report that Nanjing Jinling Shipyard has just successfully launched the second of G5GG ro-ro vessels ordered by Grimaldi Group.
ECO BARCELONA is set for delivery in August or September.
The first unit, ECO VALENCIA, part of a series of 12 newbuildings (of which 3 are for Finnlines), is expected to be delivered in the coming weeks and will start operating on the motorways of the seas in the Mediterranean basin in June.
The new vessels have a length of 238 metres, a beam of 34 metres and a gross tonnage of 64,000 tonnes. They will be able to transport over 7,800 lane meters of rolling units, equivalent to approximately 500 trailers. The design of the newbuilds was developed by the Technical and Energy Saving Department of the Grimaldi Group together with Knud E. Hansen in close cooperation with the shipyard.
CIN Tirrenia suspended ferry services between the islands and the Italian mainland (31/3)
Why?
The liquidators of the old, bad ferry company ‘Tirrenia in Extraordinary Administration’, asked (30/3) to seize the current accounts of Tirrenia-CIN, in relation to the verdict of the European Commission. (see also Ferry Shipping News 10: No State Aids for CIN but Moby Now Has to Pay 115 Million for Tirrenia)
In a statement published on the Luxemburg Stock Exchange (30/3), owner Moby said the seizure happened in spite of the fact that CIN wrote several times to confirm its willingness to offer guarantees for payment.
Moby, which controls and operate Tirrenia’s fleet, further stated that “the company does have liquidity, but the blocking of the current accounts prevents it continuing to operate. The activities of CIN have been paralysed”.
Therefore, Moby added that it would be impossible to continue the maritime links with Sardinia, Sicily and Tremiti islands.
Italy pays an annual subsidy of EUR 72 million for these lifeline services.
Immediately the Minister of Transport issued an ultimatum: the situation should be resolved in 24 hours.
The Italian transport and economic development ministries had a conference call (1/4) with the Moby Group and the administrators of Tirrenia in Extraordinary Administration, in order to find a way for reopening all the subsidised maritime links.
The same day (1/4) an agreement was reached. The ferries from Tirrenia could sail again.
CIN and the Moby group confirmed in a press release that they will respect all their commitments, “as the Onorato family has always done for five generations of shipowners serving Sardinia for over 130 years, working actively to overcome the complex and systemic current situation continuing to honor the territories served and their needs with responsibility and sense of duty.”
