Gordon Ross, Managing Director of Western Ferries, announced APCL Cammell Laird as the preferred bidder of a multi-million-pound contract for two new vehicle and passenger ferries for its Gourock to Dunoon route.
Construction will begin shortly with both vessels due to be delivered to the Firth of Clyde in Autumn 2026.
It is reported that the A-Ships Management ferry GALAXY has been chartered to the Faroese Strandfaraskip Landsins for a 10-week period starting from 8 September 2025. The ship will replace SMYRIL on the Tórshavn–Tvøroyri route.
GALAXY was previously chartered by the same company in 2017, though for a shorter period. She was built in Poland in 1979. Her carrying capacity is 900 passengers (though she will operate with a maximum of 350 during the charter) and 520 lane metres. Her service speed is 19 knots.
Photo: A-Ships Management
According to the latest information, RoRo URD, recently acquired by the Greek company Creta Cargo, will be renamed NEARCHOS. She is expected to serve the Piraeus–Santorini–Crete route from the end of May. On the same line, Creta Cargo has operated RoRo AGIOS GEORGIOS (ex-OLYMPUS, ELLI T) since July 2023.
NEARCHOS had previously served on the Constanța–Karasu route since July 2024 on behalf of Sea Lines. Creta Cargo Lines, founded in 2013, specialises primarily in the transport of unique and dangerous freight. She was built in Italy in 1981 and has a capacity of 186 passengers and 1,598 lane metres. Her service speed is 17.5 knots.
Photo: Marine Traffic
Bluferries, a company that is part of the FS Group (Italian State Railways), has welcomed its newly built double-ended ferry ATHENA, which has just arrived in the port of Messina.
“ATHENA – the name of the latest addition to the Bluferries fleet – marks a significant step forward in the field of sustainable maritime technology,” said Giuseppe Sciumè, Chief Executive Officer of Bluferries. “It is a hybrid RoRo passenger ship equipped with a latest-generation hybrid propulsion system, underlining our commitment to environmental protection.”
Valued at EUR 26 million, ATHENA is a sister ship to the non-hybrid vessels TRINACRIA and SIKANIA. All three ships were ordered through the support of Ferrando & Massone Shipbrokers and built at the Kanellos Brothers Shipyard in Perama, Greece.
ATHENA is 105 metres long and 18 metres wide. She has a dedicated vehicle deck and a separate passenger deck. Her capacity allows for up to 22 trucks or 125 vehicles, and 393 people including travellers and crew members.
In the coming weeks, ATHENA will enter service on the regular maritime route between Messina and Villa San Giovanni, across the Strait of Messina.
A few months after the agreement that saw BN di Navigazione – the company behind the BluNavy brand – acquire the Elba Ferries brand and its service slots from Corsica Ferries, the fast ferry CORSICA EXPRESS THREE has also changed hands as part of the same strategic move.
BluNavy’s CEO, Gianluca Morace, confirmed to FERRY SHIPPING NEWS that “the purchase was already included in the terms of the Elba Ferries deal but has simply been brought forward. The investment for the vessel is approximately EUR 3 million.”
The vessel’s deployment is still to be finalised. “As previously announced, during the next summer season, BluNavy will operate with the ferries ACCIARELLO and TREMESTIERI, which are already in service, along with the recently acquired AETHALIA, which will be active from the end of May,” Morace said.
CORSICA EXPRESS THREE is a high-speed vessel built in 1996 in Italy by the Rodriquez Shipyard. She measures 103 metres in length and 15 metres in width, has a maximum speed of 37 knots, and can carry over 500 passengers and 150 cars. In recent years, she has operated for Corsica Ferries on routes between Piombino–Portoferraio and Piombino–Bastia.
Key highlights from North Sea Port’s Q1 2025
North Sea Port= Gent, Terneuzen and Vlissingen
General Throughput
Cargo Segment Highlights
Geopolitical & Trade Trends
Geopolitical tensions (e.g. US trade war) may affect future performance.
https://en.northseaport.com/north-sea-port-also-records-modest-growth-in-the-first-quarter-of-2025
Hyundai Glovis Embraces Digital Fire Safety for EV Shipping
As EV exports rise, Hyundai Glovis is tackling fire risks with digital innovation. Partnering with Consilium Safety Group, the company is equipping its fleet with the SMiG system—an advanced fire control interface that maps real-time smoke and heat data across ships.
Instead of vague alerts, crews now get pinpoint locations and early warnings—often gaining up to four extra minutes to respond. “It’s a digital guardian at sea,” says Consilium’s Nordberg.
The goal? Smarter, faster, data-driven safety—onboard and potentially in car parks and logistics hubs on land.
Read the full article: https://www.consiliumsafety.com/en/hyundai-glovis-and-consiliums-push-for-safer-ev-shipping/
Incat Hull 096 – the world’s largest battery-electric ship – was officially launched at the Incat shipyard in Hobart.
Constructed for South American ferry operator Buquebus, Hull 096 is the most significant vessel ever built by Incat and represents a giant leap forward in sustainable shipping. When it enters service between Buenos Aires and Uruguay, it will operate entirely on battery-electric power, carrying up to 2,100 passengers and 225 vehicles across the River Plate.
Port of Antwerp Bruges Is Carefully Monitoring the Trade Climate
In Q1 2025, Port of Antwerp Bruges handled 67.7 million tonnes of cargo, a 4% decrease compared to the same period last year. The drop is mainly due to a significant decline in bulk traffic, although container volumes showed growth. RoRo did grow a little too.
The port continues to navigate a challenging environment marked by shifting market trends, geopolitical tensions and ongoing pressure on the European chemical sector. With the United States as its second-largest trading partner, the port is closely monitoring how the changing trade climate may impact the months ahead.
More details in the newsroom of Port of Antwerp Bruges.
Tallink Grupp published its unaudited Q1 financial results.
Key challenges:
CEO Paavo Nõgene stated:
Key figures:
