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sandra

Jul 11
Love3

Estonian State Fleet Relaunches Procurement for New Ferry

By 2025 Newsletter week 28

The Estonian State Fleet held an information day last week for companies interested in the renewed public procurement of a new ferry.

  • Four foreign and three Estonian-owned companies participated.
  • The event covered project funding, ferry requirements, service routes, and procurement details, including criteria, documentation, and timeline.
  • Participant questions were answered on-site.

Interested companies must confirm their participation by submitting a request via the Estonian Public Procurement Register by 21 July.

Background

  • The aim is to find a suitable contracting partner by the end of 2025.
  • The project is 65% financed by the EU Modernisation Fund (Energy-Efficient Low-Emission Public Transport Programme).
  • Estonia will contribute around 35% of the total cost.
  • Since 2021, two previous procurement attempts failed due to global inflation, raw material shortages, and rising shipbuilding costs.
  • The initial €40 million budget, set in 2021, has become outdated as ship prices have risen by nearly 50%.
  • The last procurement was cancelled in March after all four bids exceeded the budget.

This is the third attempt to implement the country’s 5th ferry project.

Source: www.riigilaevastik.ee

Jul 11
Love3

CGT Union Alarmed Over Possible Sale of La Méridionale

By 2025 Newsletter week 28

The CGT union representing La Méridionale employees has expressed deep concern following press reports of a possible sale of the ferry company by its owner CMA CGM.

In an open letter, the union urges CMA CGM Chairman and CEO Rodolphe Saadé to reconsider any plan to sell and requests a direct meeting with him.

The CGT also criticises the strategic choices made by CMA CGM since acquiring the company in 2023, blaming them for the current instability.

Key complaints include:

  • Launching routes outside the public service delegation (DSP).
  • Poor management of the Maghreb service, which reportedly cost the company 20% of its passenger revenue, benefiting competitors like GNV.
  • The short-lived Île-Rousse line, cancelled after six months with heavy financial losses.

The union has also asked Jean-Félix Acquaviva, the newly appointed president of the Corsican Transport Office, to clarify his stance.

Around 600 employees are still awaiting official communication, as CMA CGM has not yet responded.

Jul 11
Love3

Attica Group Publishes Its 16th Sustainability Report

By 2025 Newsletter week 28

Attica Group has released its 16th Responsible and Sustainable Development Report, confirming its commitment to ESG performance and sustainable growth.

Key highlights from the 2024 report include:

  • Global ESG Recognition: For the second consecutive year, Attica Group was ranked among the top 23% of global transportation companies by S&P Global’s Corporate Sustainability Assessment. Its ESG score improved by 19.4% compared to 2023.
  • Decarbonisation Roadmap: The Group remains on track to reduce CO₂ emissions per mile by 14% by 2030 (vs. 2019), implementing a multi-layered strategy aligned with international climate goals.
  • Climate Risk Disclosure: First Greek company to include a Climate Change Study in its financial statements, incorporating short-, medium-, and long-term scenarios (+1.5°C, +2°C, +3°C).
  • Social Impact: Distributed €974.5 million in total economic value, a 43.2% increase year-on-year. Discounted ferry tickets offered for social programmes rose from 120,000 (2023) to 320,000 (2024).
  • Human Capital: Over 14,000 hours of staff training delivered in 2024.
  • Corporate Social Responsibility: Active support programmes were implemented in 100% of the Greek islands the company serves.
  • Governance: A 91% increase in published governance indicators since 2018, with continued alignment to global best practices.
Jul 11
Love3

Rosslare and Dunkirk Receive €19.2 Million EU Support for Climate-Resilient Infrastructure

By 2025 Newsletter week 28

Rosslare Europort and Port of Dunkirk have secured funding through the EU’s Connecting Europe Facility (CEF)!

The €19.2 million investment will support:

  • Extension and upgrade of Berth 3 at Rosslare to handle larger vessels
  • New RoRo ramps and berth developments at Rosslare
  • Onshore power supply in both ports to cut emissions

Source: www.gov.ie

Source: European Commission Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) programme.

Jul 11
Love3

EU Co-Funding of €22 Million for Hansalink 3 Between Helsinki and Lübeck-Travemünde

By 2025 Newsletter week 28

The project concerns the development of the short-sea shipping link between the port of Helsinki the port of Lübeck-Travemünde, both located on the TEN-T core network. The main benefit of the project will be improved passenger and freight traffic at both terminals, as well as upgraded digital port infrastructure and shore-side electricity infrastructure.

Source: www.portofhelsinki.fi

Jul 11
Love3

Port of Dubrovnik Gets €18.6 EU Support for New Berths

By 2025 Newsletter week 28

The project concerns the construction of two new berths in the Port of Dubrovnik. The main benefit of the project will be reduced congestion and improved port efficiency by removing a current infrastructure bottleneck. This will contribute to cohesion by enhancing accessibility and connectivity for the region through maritime links.

Source: European Commission Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) programme.

Jul 11
Love3

EU Approves EMS Project Hanko-Rostock

By 2025 Newsletter week 28

The European Commission has approved the joint infrastructure project Rostock Port – Port of Hanko under the CEF Transport Call 2024.

Together, the ports will invest nearly €30 million to enhance maritime and intermodal transport capacity. Around €14 million of that will be allocated to Rostock, with 50% co-financing from the EU.

In Rostock, the project includes:

  • Extension of the intermodal terminal tracks to 680 m to strengthen rail freight.
  • Construction of new pre-staging areas and optimisation of logistics flows.

These upgrades will significantly boost multimodal transport, support climate-friendly logistics, and reinforce the maritime corridor between Finland and continental Europe.

Source: European Commission Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) programme.

Jul 11
Love3

Gijón and Nantes Ports Reconnect to Revive Motorway of the Sea

By 2025 Newsletter week 28

The Port Authority of Gijón visited the Port of Nantes–Saint Nazaire to establish contact between the new management teams of both ports and to work on reviving the Motorway of the Sea.

Both parties agreed to develop a joint commercial and institutional strategy to restore the service.

A meeting was also held with representatives from regional tourism agencies.

A return visit to the Port of Gijón by Nantes port officials is planned.

LD Lines ran the route until September 2014.

Source: www.puertogijon.es

Jul 11
Love3

Jersey Reviews Failed Joint Ferry Tender

By 2025 Newsletter week 28

The Government of Jersey’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has identified key failings in the joint ferry procurement process with Guernsey.

  • No shared governance or joint evaluation of bids.
  • No use of best practice models from UK/EU.
  • Commercial Services lacked clear oversight role.
  • External consultants were needed due to limited internal capacity.

A formal lessons-learned and benchmarking exercise is recommended by end 2025 to improve future joint procurement.

Section 6.2 (page 44) of the PAC report sheds light on Condor’s role in the failed Jersey–Guernsey ferry procurement:

  • Final Contender: Condor was the only firm remaining in the final stages before being rejected by Jersey, although Guernsey had scored its bid positively.
  • Financial Concerns: Jersey’s officials raised serious issues about Condor’s financial stability. A letter from Condor warned it might need up to £36 million in support to continue operations if unsuccessful in the tender.
  • Guernsey Moves Ahead: Frustrated by delays in Jersey, Guernsey went ahead and awarded their contract to a Condor/Brittany Ferries joint bid, leaving Jersey to launch a separate tender.
  • Resulting Split: Guernsey signed with Brittany/Condor, but Jersey chose DFDS in December 2024, marking the end of Condor’s 60-year continuous service
Jul 11
Love4

P&O Ferries to Close Teesport–Zeebrugge Route

By 2025 Newsletter week 28

P&O Ferries has informed staff that its Teesport–Zeebrugge route will close by the end of July, marking the end of its presence in Teesport.

  • The move is part of a strategic shift to focus on Tilbury and Hull.
  • Route vessel NORBAY will be redeployed elsewhere in the network.
  • Zeebrugge-Hull is expected to return to RoRo operations by mid-August. Serving now is container feeder FREYA.

This follows a series of route restructurings on the North Sea.