Møre og Romsdal signs a contract with Fjord1 ASA for the Nordmørspakken ferry routes

By 2018 Newsletter Week 05

After Fjord1 had been selected as winner of the tender, Norwegian Møre og Romsdal County signed a contract for the operation of four ferry routes in Nordmøre district. The four ferry connections are Edøya – Sandvika, Arasvika – Hennset, Seivika – Tømmervåg and Kvanne – Rykkjem, and the contract period is from 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2030.

The contract amount is NOK 1.884 billion, and it was signed on January 25 by Dagfinn Neteland (MD Fjord1) and Ottar Brage Guttelvik (County Counsilor).

There are strict environmental requirements. On three routes Fjord1 will use plug-in electric ferries. Six vessels are needed from which five will be new.

  • Kvanne – Rykkjem: 1 newbuilding 50 cars, 3 trucks, 149 pax
  • Edøya – Sandvika: 2 newbuildings 50 cars, 3 trucks, 149 pax
  • Seivika – Tømervåg: 2 newbuildings 80 cars, 6 trucks, 399 pax
  • Arasvika – Hennset: upgraded existing vessel, 25 cars, 2 trucks, 149 pax

A report with an interview (in Norwegian) is available on YouTube.

Photo: Møre og Romsdal county municipality

Photo: rendering of a 80-PBE ferry for Seivika-Tømmervåg.

Ports

By 2018 Newsletter Week 05

Rotterdam teams with IBM to build a connected, smart port of the future

Port of Rotterdam and IBM are going to collaborate on a digitisation initiative to transform the port’s operational environment using Internet of Things (IoT) technologies to benefit the port and its users.
The initiative will also prepare the Port of Rotterdam’s entire 42km site to host connected ships in the future.
It begins with the development of a centralised dashboard application that will collect and process real-time water (hydro), weather (meteo) sensor data and communications data, analysed through the IBM IoT platform.
This will enable a new wave of safer and more efficient traffic management at the port

IN THE MEDIA

By 2018 Newsletter Week 05

Total loss for MESTRE SIMÃO

The Regional Government of the Azores said a new ferry would have to be built to replace the MESTRE SIMÃO, writes the Açoriano Oriental. This small ferry ran aground when approaching the port of Madalena, on January 6. She had a capacity of 8 cars and 344 passengers.

Self-driving cars to impact the design of ferries

By 2018 Newsletter Week 05

The Squamish Chief published an interesting article about how BC Ferries was looking at the future developments regarding self-driving cars.
Mark Collins, president of BC Ferries suggests that self-driving cars might deliver profound changes to ferry use. Some examples:

  • A terminal would need more space for foot passengers, plus areas for self-driving vehicles to arrive and depart.
  • Ferries could transport freight only, and no cars, because an autonomous vehicle on the other side could pick up the foot passengers. This would mean a different kind of garage deck.
  • Ferries with flexible spaces, similar to hotels where flexible walls are used to create different sizes of meeting spaces.

Photo: BC Ferries

DFDS and Stena Line prepare for onboard battery loading services

By 2018 Newsletter Week 05

Electric vehicles create a new challenge for the ferry industry, writes www.tu.no.
Drivers of electric cars would like to leave the ferry with full batteries. So far nobody offers this service but in this article DFDS and Stena Line are reported to work on solutions.
The big issue is safety. A car battery took fire on a DFDS ship in 2010, and since then the ferry industry had a very reluctant approach. However, both DFDS and Stena confirmed they are working on solutions to serve the customers’ needs.
When the temperature in a battery cell rises above a certain level, an unstoppable heat production will occur. A battery fire can be extinguished with water, but more water is needed than another fire. Also, getting the water to the very source of the fire is not easy.

Condor Ferries and Bachmann Group no longer interested in inter-island ferry service

By 2018 Newsletter Week 05

Jersey Evening Post wrote that Condor Ferries have withdrawn from new plans for a Channel Islands trial service for this year.
The two vessels they had planned to charter had now been deployed elsewhere. The company was also concerned that there is only a very short timeframe available to prepare and launch the new service.
Bachmann Group also pulled out following concerns over costs.
The article quotes Jersey Senator Farnham, who said that there were nine other operators in the bidding process.

Photo: Guernsey © Mike Louagie

Trasmediterranea’s new vessel to be named VILLA DE TEROR

By 2018 Newsletter Week 05

Juan Carlos Diaz Lorenzo reveals in Puente de Mando (in Spanish) the new name for the ferry under construction at the Vulcan Shipyard in Vigo for Trasmediterranea. We’re talking about the ferry that was originally ordered by Viking Line as VIKING ADCC.
Her name will be VILLA DE TEROR. The town of Teror is a municipality in the province of Las Palmas, located north of Gran Canaria.

Photo: Juan Carlos Diaz Lorenzo

Saint Pierre et Miquelon soon ready to operate the new Damen ro-pax vessels

By 2018 Newsletter Week 05

In 2015 Collectivité de Saint Pierre et Miquelon awarded the contract for two new ferries to operate between the two Islands and Fortune (Canada) to Damen Shipyards Group.
In close cooperation with the client, Damen designed the Fast RoPax 5510, 55 m long, with a capacity for 192 passengers and crew, 3 trucks or 18 cars.
The vessels named NORDET and SUROIT were heavy-lifted to Canada in November and have recently finished their local sea trials.

Photo: Rendering Damen