Port Tests New Facility For Gibraltar’s ‘No Deal’ Brexit Ferry
A trial was conducted to test new port infrastructure to accommodate a ferry that will run from Algeciras to Gibraltar carrying perishable goods in the event of a ‘no deal’ Brexit.
- The Moby SPL ferry PRINCESS ANASTASIA experienced a blackout soon after leaving Stockholm on Wednesday 6 November. The vessel ran slightly aground but was able to return to Stockholm for inspection soon after. Nobody was hurt.
- On 1 November 2019 Scandlines ferry BERLIN was hit by the coaster DANICA VIOLET in Rostock. BERLIN needed repairs but could be put in service again 27 hours after the incident. Ro-pax ferry KRONPRINS FREDERIK, normally used as freight ferry, temporarily took over.
- Sefine Shipyard has delivered HILLEFJORD to Fjord 1. She will be used on Ranavik – Skjærsholmane (Norway).HILLEFJORD is now on her way to Norway. (MarineTraffic)
COLOR HYBRID, arriving in Fayard (Denmark) on 28 October 2019.
Brittany Ferries’ ETRETAT, seen in the port of Le Havre from the sundeck of new cruise vessel MSC GRANDIOSA.
DFDS – Moby Agreement On New Amsterdam-Newcastle Ferries Cancelled
Official statement from DFDS:
On 6 September 2019, DFDS entered into an agreement with Moby to acquire two ferries, MOBY WONDER and MOBY AKI, for deployment on the Amsterdam-Newcastle route.
Moby would in turn acquire the two passenger ferries currently operating on Amsterdam-Newcastle, KING SEAWAYS and PRINCESS SEAWAYS.
The agreement was expected to be completed in the second half of October 2019, but Moby has unfortunately not been able to meet the delivery terms of the agreement. The agreement has therefore been cancelled.
DFDS will continue to explore solutions for a renewal of the ferries on the Amsterdam-Newcastle route.
Official statement from Moby:
The reason for the cancellation is that Moby has been unable to deliver to DFDS the two vessels free of the mortgages that have been granted to Unicredit as Security Agent for Moby’s secured financings. Moby believes that Unicredit was contractually obliged to provide consent to the release of the vessel mortgages as security agent, and intends to raise this issue formally with Unicredit as Security Agent and with its lenders.
“Viking Glory Will Be One Of The Most Climate-Smart Passenger Ships In The World”
This is the title of a new website from Viking Line, about their new ferry –VIKING GLORY– under construction in China.
Kudos to Viking Line for the way they present the vessel on their website, and for their investment in advanced green technology.
Some highlights:
- 10% less fuel consumption
- First ship in the world to be equipped with six Wärtsilä 31DF dual fuel engines, LNG as main fuel.
- These engines have the lowest fuel consumption, but at the same time, the highest cylinder output in their segment (550 kW/cylinder).
- Biogas is possible
- World first: recover the waste cold from the use of LNG and recycle it for use in cold counters, cold rooms and other special rooms.
- A Climeon energy recycling system that harnesses and converts waste heat from the engines into electricity. (can generate up to 40% of the electricity required for the passenger functions).
- Dynamic air conditioning and lighting system will be installed onboard, which will have a direct effect on energy consumption. This system will be controlled by the booking system: if a cabin remains empty at departure, it will be set in a power-saving mode, thereby minimising air-conditioning and heating for that particular cabin.
- The Azipod propeller system by ABB will save time and fuel in terms of ship manoeuvring. Viking Glory will be the first passenger ship of this kind in the world to utilise this propeller system.
A follow-up order to the 109m high-speed catamaran EXPRESS 4, the new Auto Express 115 will be the largest ferry (by volume) ever built by Austal.
Highlights:
- A new generation of medium speed engines that are LNG compatible, with the potential to upgrade to LNG fuel in the future.
- 1,610 passengers / 450 cars (or 617 lane metres for trucks + 257 cars) over two vehicle decks.
- This increases ferry capacity by about 14 %, which solves some of the capacity problems Bornholm has experienced during the recent peak season.
- Service speed close to 37 knots,
- Bornholm route, between Ystad and Rønne, from early 2022.
Currently operating on the route are MAX (900 pax and 240 cars) and EXPRESS 1 (1,200 pax and 417 cars).
Dutch CoCo Yachts B.V. has delivered another Coastal Cruiser 356 high-speed passenger vessel, named XIN HAI ZHU, to Blue Jet Zhuhai Fast Ferries of China.
The vessel closely follows four predecessors delivered in 2016 (HAI JING and HAI QIN), 2017 (XIN HAI SHAN) and the 2019 delivered XIN HAI TIAN.
The aluminium fast ferry is fully designed by CoCo Yachts B.V. and built by Plenty Shipbuilding Industry Ltd. of Zhuhai, China. The vessel will be used between China and Hong Kong Island.
With a length of 40.2m, the vessel has a capacity of 356 passengers. For propulsion, the two propellers are connected with 2x MTU16V2000M72 main engines, which delivered a max speed of 30.7 knots.
Elliott Bay Design Group (EBDG) was selected by Vigor Fab as the engineering firm that will provide functional design for the new hybrid-electric Olympic Class ferries for Washington State Ferries (WSF).
EBDG is responsible for redesigning the vessels to accommodate the major change in propulsion type without disrupting structural components. The ferries will operate on all-battery power during crossings or can revert to a hybrid, diesel-electric propulsion if required. Battery recharging will typically occur dockside at the terminals during offloading/loading procedures.
Earlier this year, Washington State’s Legislature authorized a contract extension for Vigor to build up to five hybrid-electric versions of their 144-vehicle Olympic Class. The new-build authorization is a direct result of the 2040 Long Range Plan that identified the initial aspects of vessel and terminal electrification. EBDG was a participant of the plan and is now leading the effort for an additional, supporting addendum – the WSF System Electrification Plan. The System Electrification Plan will identify a detailed plan for deploying hybrid-electric vessels throughout the ferry system.
More than half of Washington State Ferries’ 23-vessel fleet is scheduled to be retired by 2040. The ferry system needs 16 new vessels in the next 20 years, including 13 ferries to replace vessels due for retirement and three additional vessels to fill in when other ferries are out for maintenance and to respond to growth.
MSC-controlled Grandi Navi Veloci has chartered ropax GIROLATA from La Meridionale, as from 1 January to the end of September, with an option three more months.
The two companies agreed for a deck & engine and full catering charter. The ship will start operating in Italy under the French flag after a small refit at Chantier Navale de Marseille.
Grandi Navi Veloci confirmed the charter, specifying that it is set to be deployed on the links between the ports of Civitavecchia and Palermo-Termini Imerese in Sicily.
