On December 16, 2019 the Hellenic Public Port Authority, decided to launch an immediate tender for the removal and legal disposal of the HSC KALLI P. (1996) of Idomeneas Lines.
The ship was chartered from Nel Lines in May 2015 in order to connect Heraklion with Santorini. However, the plans failed, and the vessel was laid up at the MED Shipyard in Perama since June 2016.
She was built in France (Chantier Leroux & Lotz Naval) in 1995 as the NGV ALISO of SNCM.
Labour unions in Italy revealed that Massimo Mura, CEO of Tirrenia CIN announced a cost saving plan which will result in the layoff of some 1,000 seafarers and 70 workers ashore.
Both the branch offices in Cagliari and Naples will be closed down and the employees are proposed to move to Portoferraio, Genoa or Milan. Labour unions reacted, announcing that the workers will go on strike against the decision.
The route between Rostock and Trelleborg have had an impressive growth during the last three years and in 2019 more than 400,000 guests will travel on the route. Stena Line now invests EUR 5 million in a refit and renovation of the cabins and public spaces onboard the two vessels MECKLENBURG-VORPOMMERN and SKÅNE.
The refit will start in the end of December and take place both during the planned yard visits and during operation. The project will be finished in time before the peak season 2020.
The design is based on the Stena Line Design Book, also used for the newbuildings, focusing on a spacious, light and modern Scandinavian design. The renovation will cover all cabins and public areas, corridors and food outlets.
On board MECKLENBURG-VORPOMMERN the separation between the shop and café will be taken away to create a more spacious feeling.
On board SKÅNE the relaxing service concept ”Newsroom”, also found on the newbuildings, will be built.
The Japanese sleeping pods launched onboard MECKLENBURG-VORPOMMERN and SKÅNE in April 2019 has also played a part in the success of the route. With more than 5,000 bookings the targets were more than surpassed.
Although some of the renderings show the coast of Calais and the Port of Dover, the ropax ferries under construction at the Guangzhou Shipyard International, will be deployed in the first and second half of 2021 in the Baltic region. (plans can always change of course).
Christian Simon Nielsen, Project Manager, has kindly shared some great 3D renderings of the design on the DFDS newsroom.
With their capacity for 4,500 lane metres of freight and 600 passengers, the newbuilds are designed to accommodate future growth. The keel-laying ceremony which will take place in January 2020.
Ferry Shipping News understands there is an option for a further two units.
Following the 2019 general election result in the UK, DFDS has reminded its passengers they can continue to book to travel to the Continent with confidence.
Kasper Moos, Vice President and Head of Short Routes & Passenger, confirmed that the DFDS Brexit Guarantee will continue.
He said: “We created the Brexit Guarantee earlier this year so that people could rest assured their trips are safe with us and they can book with confidence. This guarantee means if you book direct you are able to cancel with no additional cost.
I want to reassure our passengers that we now expect an orderly transition for the UK to leave the EU which means that there will be no changes to passenger travel until the end of December 2020 at the earliest. At DFDS it is business as usual over the busy Christmas and New Year period. We will still be linking the UK to Europe, Brexit or no Brexit.”
Anyone with questions about their travel plans can get all the latest advice at the DFDS Brexit FAQs page www.dfds.com/en-gb/brexit.
On 14 December 2019, DSB’s Euro-City Train 39 had the honour to end an era. It was the last train to cross by ferry.
The day after, trains to Hamburg started to drive via Fyn, with the same travel time, or even less.
More Revenue and Profit for Moby in First 9 Months
Moby published its interim report for the first 9 months.
Revenue went up 4.7%, from EUR 478,843,000 to 501,306,000.
Profit of EUR 32,894,000 (excluding the impact of IFRS 16) against a loss of EUR 12,669,000 in same period last year.
Port of Ystad Works Are on Track
The expansion of the port with two new ferry berths is going very well. The construction of the breakwater is now approx. 1500m long, all the sheet piles for the ferry berths are installed and very soon the whole new pier will be filled.
One third of the dredging is completed and the material from the dredging is being reused between the new and the old breakwater. The area will be an important part of the port´s future development.
Shipping Sector Proposes USD 5 Billion R&D Board to Cut Emissions
The global maritime transport industry has submitted a proposal to form the world’s first collaborative shipping R&D programme to help eliminate CO2 emissions from international shipping. The proposal includes core funding from shipping companies across the world of about USD 5 billion over a 10-year period.
Highlights of the proposal:
“Greta Thunberg is right to say that ‘creative accounting and clever PR’ often lie behind supposed commitments to sustainability, but our plans are transparent, and our regulator has teeth. Now we ask the wider shipping community for their blessing. Change on this scale is difficult and often daunting. But in this case, it could not be more necessary. “
-Guy Platten, Secretary General International Chamber of Shipping
