CMA CGM has reduced its ro-ro service to North Africa, and concentrates on a single service Marseille-Casablanca-Marseille. This single service was started on January 20 with ro-ro AKNOUL, reports l’Antenne (in French).
The original “Morroco Express” service was launched on October 2017, with the first loop linking Casablanca, Tanger and Marseille, and a second loop linking Tanger, Marseille and Genoa.
- Detroit World Logistic Maritime (DWLM) expect to have their veteran ferry LE RIF ready in April. The ship is being refurbished in Naples since a long time. Some websites already reported the company had abandoned her, something which was proven wrong by issuing a message on DWLM’s social media. “She will be ready to sail between Tanger Med and Algeciras by April.”
- The ro-pax ferries AMSICORA and BONARIA, previously chartered by Tirrenia and returned to their owner Grimaldi have been renamed into MYKONOS PALACE and CRUISE BONARIA respectively.
- CLdN’s second mega- 7,800 lane meter ro-ro is on her delivery voyage, and is expected in Rotterdam/Zeebrugge mid February.
- Trasmediterránea has moved the SUPERFAST LEVANTE and ALMUDAINA DOS from the Cypriot flag back again to the Spanish registry, with fully Spanish crew. Other ships may follow.
- After a lay-up period, ro-pax AL ANDALUS EXPRESS (former SEAFRANCE NORD PAS-DE-CALAIS) will again be used by FRS until 7 March. The ship is still for sale.
- Trasmediterranéa’s ferry ALMARIYA is back in service again, after months of repair work.
The president of Balearia, Adolfo Utor, was at the International Tourism Fair of Madrid (FITUR) to present the two LNG ro-pax ferries currently being built by Visentini.
The first vessel, the HYPATIA DE ALEJANDRÍA is expected to enter service in early 2019. The second will be named MARIE CURIE. The names are a tribute to two scientific women which are important in the history of humanity.
Both vessels are earmarked for the Balearic Islands.
Capacity: 810 passengers + 2,180 lane meters of cargo + 150 cars
Baleària’s has already done some pioneering work by converting one auxiliary engine on ABEL MATUTES into an LNG engine. The company has the intention to re-motorize other ships in the fleet.
Watch the video presentation (2:31)
Irish Ferries new cruise ferry reached a key milestone on Friday 19 January, when the ship was formally named in traditional style, and the completed hull launched into the water in Flensburg.
Watch the video of the launch (2:58)
Brittany Ferries will start a new freight and passenger ferry route with a chartered ship.
- Route: Cork (Ireland) – Santander (Spain).
- Frequency: two direct sailings weekly + an additional weekly return sailing from Cork to Roscoff.
- Ship: CONNEMARA, which is a Visentini ro-pax built as BORJA in 2007 and owned by Stena RoRo. She has a lane meter capacity of 2,255 and will take 500 passengers. There is space for 195 cars. UNtil now on charter to Anek Lines, as ASTERION.
- Start: end of April 2018. Bookable end of January.
- Type of product: ro-pax “économy’ brand, not cruise ferry.
- Brittany Ferries expects a fifty-fifty split between passengers and freight.
- The company already operates a Cork – Roscoff (France) ro-pax route since 40 years.
- Target 1: Freight (avoiding the land bridge via the United Kingdom).
- Target 2: Tourism between Ireland and so-called “green’ Spain.
The vessel will not fly the French flag, but a European flag, said President Jean-Marc Roué in the French press release, and added that Brittany Ferries announced in 2017 the intention to have two new ships built.
The annual docking of DELFT SEAWAYS, DUNKERQUE SEAWAYS AND DOVER SEAWAYS includes replacement of their nine tonnes heavy main bow door hinge arms as well as completion of main engine gearbox overhaul.
Each ‘D’ ship will spend 10 days in dock.
The ‘C’ vessels COTE DES DUNES and COTE DES FLANDRES will follow. Their main propeller blades will be changed to a new design to match the vessels’ scheduled service speed and give a significant reduction in fuel consumption.
CALAIS SEAWAYS will go as last ship, for routine work and main engine overhaul.
In the commercial passenger areas, new tills and shop display units are being fitted on all vessels and for freight customers, completely refurbished shower facilities will be fitted on four vessels.
Source: DFDS Technical Organisation – Photo: DFDS
The ro-ro volume in Zeebrugge grew 4.3% in 2017, to a total of 14,962,878 tonnes.
Scandinavian ro-ro loads experienced again a spectacular growth of 23.5% (CLdN, SOL, Finnlines..). In 2016 the growth figure on this region was already 11.7 %.
The volume of traffic to and from the United Kingdom is stable. (+0.4%)
The following routes saw a more significant rise: Teesport (+10.1%) and Hull (+16.6%). The latter has seen a growing lo-lo activity, instead of ro-ro.
P&O Ferries noted a record volume on Tilbury, with more than 185,000 freight units shipped in 2017. (+4.9%)
The ro-ro volume on Ireland grew 4.6%.
Photo: ML FREYJA, on charter to SOL. © Mike Louagie
At the beginning of the year DFDS Copenhagen-Oslo route vessel CROWN SEAWAYS has been sent to Fayard, where she will be staying until January 23.
She will be repainted in the new brand colours. In addition, there are a number of major things that will be upgraded, such as the Commodore Balcony cabins, which will be completely refurbished with a contemporary interior. The conference centre will have a new lounge area, designed for a better customer flow.
The Marco Polo restaurant is also being refurbished and is getting a new interior.
On January 24 both CROWN SEAWAYS and PEARL SEAWAYS will be side by side in Copenhagen in their matching colours, a very unusual happening
Photo: Mike Louagie
Møre og Romsdal County Municipality has appointed Fjord1 ASA as the winner of the ‘Nordmørspakken’ group of ferry connections. The contract is to be signed on January 2018.
The new contract period is from 1 January 2020 until 31 December 2030.
Routes:
- Halsa–Kanestraum (E39)
- Seivika–Tømmervåg (Rv 680)(Rv= national road)
- Arasvika–Hennset (E39–Rv 682)
- Kvanne–Rykkjem (Rv 670)
- Sandvika–Edøy (Rv 680–Rv 669)
Photo: Mike Louagie
Blue Water Shipping has put into operation a new multi-terminal covering 116,000 m2 in the East Port area of the Danish Port of Esbjerg. The terminal is using the port’s two newly built ro-ro ramps, and welcomed DFDS as first customer, for its Immingham route.
According to Port Director Ole Ingrisch, improved conditions for ro-ro traffic have been one of the major focus areas in the establishment of the East Port.
Traffic will have direct access to the E20 motorway, which is also good news for the City.
The port is also important for the wind turbine industry, which has introduced ro-ro vessels to its logistics concept.
Photo: Robert Attermann / Port of Esbjerg