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sandra

Jan 23
3

Fewer Ship Calls To Swedish Ports In 2025

By | 2026 Newsletter week 04 | No Comments

According to Sjöfartsverket, the number of ship calls to Swedish ports continued to decline in 2025, reflecting the ongoing economic slowdown.

Key figures:

  • Total ship calls fell by 2.9%, from 68,124 in 2024 to 66,178 in 2025.
  • This is the lowest level recorded since 2008.
  • Total cargo volumes decreased by around 2.4%.
  • Passenger numbers remained broadly stable at approximately 20,500,000.
  • Ferry calls declined by 1.9%.
  • Cruise ship calls increased by 6.7%, although total cruise passenger numbers fell slightly.

Sjöfartsverket notes a continued shift towards fewer calls by small and medium-sized vessels, while larger ships account for a greater share of traffic. The authority links the decline primarily to weak economic conditions, which continue to weigh on Swedish maritime trade.

Jan 23
3

Grand Port de Dunkerque: RoRo Traffic Mixed In 2025

By | 2026 Newsletter week 04 | No Comments

At Grand Port de Dunkerque, RoRo activity showed contrasting trends across trade lanes in 2025.

Cross Channel (Dunkerque–Dover):

  • Freight traffic down 3%.
  • Passenger car traffic down 13%.
  • Overall market described as slightly weaker year-on-year.

Ireland services:

  • RoRo freight volumes up 11%.
  • Passenger traffic up 8%.
  • Continued year-on-year confirmation of a robust business model.
  • In September 2025, DFDS reinforced the service with VICTORIA SEAWAYS, doubling passenger capacity and increasing freight capacity by 18% compared with OPTIMA SEAWAYS.

Overall RoRo results (2025):

  • Freight units: 486,000 (-1%).
  • Passenger cars: 324,000 (-12%).
  • Passengers: 1,601,000 (-9%).

Automotive logistics:

  • Following the opening of a new vehicle logistics centre in the eastern port area in 2024, maritime vehicle exports continued to grow.
  • A total of 52 car-carrier calls were handled in 2025, supporting the regional automotive industry.

Despite pressure on cross-Channel volumes, Dunkerque’s Ireland routes and automotive exports remain clear growth drivers.

Source: Dunkerque Port (in French)

Jan 23
3

Patras Port Authority Opens New Sea Gate To Egypt

By | 2026 Newsletter week 04 | No Comments

Patras Port Authority S.A. has signed a Letter of Intent for the launch of a direct maritime connection between the Port of Patras and ports in Egypt.

According to Panagiotis Anastasopoulos, President & CEO of the Port of Patras, the initiative represents a strategic milestone. It:

  • Positions Patras at the centre of Eastern Mediterranean–European freight flows
  • Strengthens its role as an international intermodal transport hub
  • Creates new opportunities for logistics, exports, and the Greek economy
  • Enhances the geo-economic position of Western Greece

Photo: Patras Port Authority

Jan 23
3

Interferry Calls For Pause On EU ETS At 70% Coverage

By | 2026 Newsletter week 04 | No Comments

Interferry is calling for an immediate halt to the further phasing-in of the EU Emissions Trading System for maritime transport.

The association wants the surrendering obligation for ferry emissions frozen at 70% in 2025, with the planned increase to 100% in 2026 put on hold.

Interferry argues that the current approach undermines the level playing field, following the EU decision to continue exempting road transport from a parallel ETS scheme and the absence of clear rules on how ETS revenues are allocated.

“This action must remain in place until road transport is also in an ETS and funds collected are actually ringfenced for maritime decarbonisation,” said Mike Corrigan, CEO of Interferry.

Key concerns raised by Interferry:

  • Ferry operators face full ETS costs, while road transport remains exempt.
  • ETS risks shifting freight and passengers back to already congested road networks.
  • More than half of the world’s RoRo and passenger ship tonnage operates in European waters.
  • EU ferries transport around 400,000,000 passengers and 200,000,000 vehicles and freight units annually.

According to Interferry, every euro increase in ferry freight rates increases the risk of modal shift back to road, directly contradicting EU transport policy objectives.

“This exemption of road transport creates a severe competitive disadvantage for RoRo and passenger ferries,” said Johan Roos, Director Regulatory Affairs at Interferry.

Interferry also points to the IMO decision in October 2025 to delay a global GHG pricing mechanism by at least 12 months. That framework was expected to replace the EU ETS and provide clarity on how revenues would be used.

Interferry estimates that the EU ETS is currently taxing intra-EU ferry transport by around €1,000,000,000 per year, while most revenues flow into national budgets rather than supporting e-fuels, port electrification or charging infrastructure for electric ferries.

The association stresses that it supports maritime decarbonisation, but only if policy measures genuinely enable investment in cleaner technologies rather than eroding the sector’s financial capacity to deliver them.

Jan 23
3

Corsica Maritime Service: Regional Company Seen As Only Solution

By | 2026 Newsletter week 04 | No Comments

Local political and transport stakeholders in Corsica are (again) calling for the creation of a regional ferry company as the only viable long-term solution to improve and stabilise year-round maritime links with the French mainland.

According to statements shared on local media channels, proponents argue that:

  • Establishing a regional ferry operator would give greater control over service quality, schedules and connectivity.
  • Such a company would differ from simply subsidising existing carriers. Creating it would be akin to regional nationalisation, but supporters say it could better address Corsica’s specific mobility needs.
  • The proposals arise amid ongoing debates about the effectiveness and transparency of the current public service contracts and compensation framework.

These discussions take place against the backdrop of existing public service contracts running until 2030 covering passenger and freight ferry links between the mainland port of Marseille and Corsican ports such as Ajaccio, Bastia, Propriano, Porto-Vecchio and L’Île-Rousse, for which state aid arrangements have been approved under EU rules.

No official government decision has been announced yet on forming a regional operator. Debate continues among regional political leaders, the Corsican Transport Board and industry stakeholders.

Source: France Info 3 Viastella (in French)

Jan 23
1

IMAGE CARDS

By | 2026 Newsletter week 04 | No Comments

STENA CONNECTA Arrives in Belfast

Stena Line’s STENA CONNECTA has arrived in Belfast on Monday 19 January.

She will soon join her sister ship, STENA FUTURA, on the Belfast – Heysham route and enter service on the 20:30 sailing on Friday 23 January 2026.

Photo Scott Mackey

Positive Signal from Szczecin: JANTAR UNITY Christened

The christening of JANTAR UNITY in Szczecin marks a major milestone for Poland’s ferry renewal programme.

The LNG-hybrid RoPax is the largest and most modern vessel ever operated by UNITY LINE.

Built by the Gdańsk Ship Repair Yard, part of Remontowa Holding, the ferry underlines renewed momentum in Polish shipbuilding.

A sister ship will follow later this year, with a third unit already confirmed.

All photos: Bartosz Bagiński

Jan 16
3

Viking Line 2025: Passenger Volumes Stable, Cargo and Sustainability Advance

By | 2026 Newsletter week 03 | No Comments

Viking Line carried 4.61 million passengers in 2025 across its five vessels and achieved a record cargo volume, despite a marginal year-on-year passenger decline.

Key passenger figures

  • Total passengers: 4,608,573 (–0.8% vs 2024)
  • Passenger cars: 509,634
  • International passengers: Market share increased to 13.5%

Route highlights:

  • Helsinki–Tallinn: 1,823,917 passengers
  • Helsinki–Mariehamn–Stockholm: 808,787 passengers (+12%, market share 47%)
  • Turku–Mariehamn–Stockholm: 1,944,798 passengers
  • Special cruises: 31,071 passengers
  • The jointly owned Birka Gotland, operated with Gotlandsbolaget, carried 570,513 passengers, up 30% compared with its shorter first operating year.

Service and fleet investments

Deputy CEO Peter Hellgren highlighted improved customer satisfaction and strong summer performance, supported by fleet investments, including upgrades to VIKING XPRS on the competitive Helsinki–Tallinn route.

Cargo reaches record level

  • Cargo units: 139,484
  • Year-on-year growth: nearly +4%

Freight Director Harri Tamminen attributed the result to long-term customer partnerships and new fossil-free transport solutions.

Emissions reduction and future concepts

  • Biogas use: increased tenfold to ~6,000 tonnes
  • GHG reduction: more than 60,000 tonnes
  • Carbon-neutral option: now available for both passengers and cargo customers

In June, Viking Line unveiled the HELIOS concept, an electric-powered passenger/car ferry planned for the Helsinki–Tallinn route. If realised, it could enable a green shipping corridor across the Gulf of Finland in the early 2030s.

Source: Viking Line

Photo: Mike Louagie

Jan 16
3

DFDS December 2025: Freight Volumes End the Year on a Firmer Note

By | 2026 Newsletter week 03 | No Comments

Ferry – freight:

  • Total volumes0m lane metres were 1.2% above 2024 and 0.4% lower adjusted for route changes. The full-year growth rates were -0.1% and -1.8%, respectively.
  • North Sea volumes were above 2024 driven by higher volumes on most routes. Mediterranean volumes were as expected below 2024 due to capacity reductions.
  • Channel volumes were above 2024 driven by the new Jersey volumes as the total Dover Strait volumes were on level with 2024.
  • Baltic Sea volumes were just below 2024.
  • Strait of Gibraltar volumes were above 2024.

In 2025, the total transported freight lane metres decreased 0.1% to 41.5m from 41.5m in 2024 and decreased 1.8% adjusted for route changes.

Ferry – passenger:

  • The December decrease was mainly due to lower volumes on Strait of Gibraltar.
  • The number of cars in December was on level with 2024 adjusted for route changes.

In 2025, the total number of passengers decreased 21.1% to 5.2m compared to 6.6m in 2024. The decrease was 4.4% adjusted for route changes.

Source: click on table below to access the DFDS website

Jan 16
3

Wasaline 2025 Results: Passenger Growth, Cargo Resilience and Emissions Cuts

By | 2026 Newsletter week 03 | No Comments

Wasaline reported a solid year in 2025, with gains in passenger traffic, stable freight performance and significant emissions reductions.

Passenger and Revenue Performance

  • Passengers carried: 259,769 (+2.6% vs 2024), even with the vessel Aurora Botnia in dry dock for the last week of December.
  • Turnover: increased 2.7% to EUR 28.8 million, signalling ongoing commercial momentum.

CEO Peter Ståhlberg noted that despite broader economic headwinds, demand remains resilient, including increased interest from Central European markets for winter sailings, alongside strong traditional demand from Finnish and Swedish customers.

Freight and Cargo

  • Freight volumes: saw a slight decline due to regional economic slowdown, postponed construction projects and reduced paper trade; however, market share in freight improved during the year.
  • Management highlighted intermodal transport potential as a growth opportunity heading into 2026.

Sustainability and Emissions

  • Emissions reduction: Wasaline reduced total emissions by 85.3%, primarily after switching to biogas operations in August 2025.
  • The company continues to operate carbon-neutral services on the Umeå–Vaasa route, with Aurora Botnia powered by a combination of biogas and battery systems.

Operational Notes

  • Aurora Botnia returned from dry dock with upgraded passenger areas and increased battery capacity (12.6 MWh), the largest on a RoPax vessel, enhancing energy efficiency and service quality.

Photo and source: Wasaline