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sandra

Apr 25
Love3

ORGANISATIONS

By 2025 Newsletter week 17

ESPO Welcomes EP’s Budget Committee’s Plea for Greater Funding for Transport, Energy and Dual-Use Infrastructure Within the Next MFF

The European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) welcomes the report of the European Parliament’s Budget Committee voted on 23 April, titled “On a revamped long-term budget for the Union in a changing world,” by co-rapporteurs Siegfried Mureşan (EPP) and Carla Tavares (S&D). The compromise amendments and the full report can be found here.

The report stresses the need for the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) to allocate significantly greater funding to energy and transport, in line with the objective of achieving climate neutrality by 2050. This requires the decarbonisation of the economy through the deployment of clean technologies and the enhancement of energy and transport infrastructure.

The Budget MEPS are also asking support for military mobility in the future EU budget, to enhance infrastructure for dual-use—both military and civilian— to strengthen the Union’s defence capabilities.

The Budget Committee finally underlines the importance of ensuring that the MFF is adequately resourced and sustainably financed and recognises that budgetary needs post-2027 will be significantly higher than the amounts allocated in the 2021–2027 MFF.

Apr 25
Love1

IMAGE CARDS

By 2025 Newsletter week 17

In April, Mann Lines’ ML FREYJA has been integrated in the Wallenius SOL network. She is seen here in Zeebrugge.

Baleària has successfully completed the first docking trials of the high-speed ferry AVEMAR DOS in the port of Tarifa. The 82-metre catamaran, capable of carrying up to 900 passengers and reaching speeds of 34 knots, is set to begin operations on the Tarifa–Tangier Ville route in early May.

The initial schedule includes four daily crossings in each direction, with frequency expected to increase over the summer season—offering departures from early morning until late evening.

Last week, the company also carried out operational trials in the port of Tangier Ville in preparation for the launch.

Apr 18
Love3

New Wallenius SOL RoRo on Sea Trials

By 2025 Newsletter week 16

SOUTH ENABLER, the new RoRo vessel for Mann Lines / Wallenius SOL, reached the sea for the first time on Saturday, 12 April.

The ship has been built by Cantieri Navale Visentini, based on a concept by NAOS Ship and Boat Design.

She will join the Wallenius SOL fleet in May. The vessel was originally ordered by Mann Lines, a company acquired by Wallenius SOL in February 2025 [press release].

She will primarily serve the ports of Turku – Paldiski – Bremerhaven – Zeebrugge – Tilbury – Cuxhaven – Turku.

Newbuilding C.236, initially intended for Mann Lines, is a lengthened version of the RoRo vessel ML FREYJA, completed by the same shipyard for the same operator in 2017.

The owner of the vessel will be a company within the Visentini Group, and she will be chartered to Mann Lines / Wallenius SOL.

Main data of SOUTH ENABLER: 3,000 lane metres plus 200 cars | LOA 203m | 2 Wärtsilä engines of 7200 kw each | 22 knots speed | RINA Class | Ice Class 1A | methanol ready

Apr 18
Love3

Newly Built RoPax Ship GNV ORION Delivered to MSC

By 2025 Newsletter week 16

GNV, the Genoa-based ferry company owned by the MSC Group, has taken delivery of GNV ORION at Guangzhou Shipyard International in China. This is the second vessel in a series of four new RoPax units.

The ship, owned by MSC and bareboat chartered to GNV, will soon depart for the Mediterranean to complete final fittings before entering service by the end of June on the regular Genoa–Palermo route.

With a gross tonnage of approximately 52,000 tons, a length of 218 metres, a beam of 29.60 metres, and a maximum speed of 25 knots, GNV ORION can accommodate 1,700 passengers in 433 cabins and transport up to 3,080 lane metres of cargo.

The vessel is equipped for cold ironing. It also features advanced emission reduction systems, including exhaust gas cleaning systems (EGCS) and selective catalytic reduction (SCR), complying with IMO Tier III requirements.

Apr 18
Love3

PREVELIS Laid Up at Elefsis Bay

By 2025 Newsletter week 16

On 15 April 2025, ANEK Lines’ night ferry PREVELIS was transferred to Elefsis Bay to be laid up until further notice.

The ship was purchased in 1994 and initially served on the Piraeus–Rethymnon route until 2007. In 2008, she was transferred to the Piraeus–Cyclades line, and from 2009 to 2023 she operated on the so-called “barren line” Piraeus–Milos–Santorini–Anafi–Heraklion–Sitia–Kassos–Karpathos–Chalki–Rhodes. This route established her as one of the most important ferries in the Greek ferry scene.

From December 2023 to May 2024, she was reassigned to the Piraeus–Chios–Mytilene route. Since then, she has remained laid up at the ONEX Elefsis yards.

PREVELIS was built in Japan in 1980. She has a capacity of 1,300 passengers and 652 lane metres, and can sail at a speed of 19 knots.

Photo: Kostas Papadopoulos

Apr 18
Love3

Grimaldi Lines’ RoPax VENEZIA Completing her Conversion at Perama

By 2025 Newsletter week 16

Since 20 March 2025, Grimaldi Lines’ RoPax VENEZIA has been undergoing a small-scale conversion and refit at the Perama repair zone. The works include the addition of 33 two-bed cabins, the installation of photovoltaic systems, and the fitting of a ducktail at the stern.

Her sister ship FLORENCIA underwent a similar conversion at Perama in February 2025.

VENEZIA currently serves the Igoumenitsa–Ancona route alongside FLORENCIA. She was built in Italy in 2004 and has a capacity of 946 passengers and 2,230 lane metres. Her service speed is 24 knots.

Photo: Anastasios Anastasiou

Apr 18
Love3

BC Ferries Highlights Ageing Fleet as It Prepares for Busy Easter Weekend

By 2025 Newsletter week 16

With high travel volumes expected over the Easter long weekend, BC Ferries has issued a public advisory—but the real headline lies beneath the surface: the fleet is ageing fast, and new vessels are urgently needed.

Two key vessels, the QUEEN OF SURREY and QUEEN OF OAK BAY—both 44 years old—will remain out of service into May due to delayed refits. These delays were triggered by unplanned repairs on other older vessels, including the 60-year-old QUEEN OF NEW WESTMINSTER, putting added pressure on dry dock availability and disrupting BC Ferries’ carefully coordinated maintenance schedule.

“This isn’t just about one ship—it’s about the challenge of operating a fleet where many major vessels are more than 40 years old,” said Ed Hooper, Executive Director of Shipbuilding at BC Ferries.

The current disruptions underscore the urgency behind BC Ferries’ recently approved New Major Vessels project. Four new vessels will be ordered by June, with the first entering service in 2029. Despite efforts to include local industry, no Canadian shipyards submitted proposals, prompting BC Ferries to look abroad for builders.

“Our plan is to build globally and maintain locally,” said Hooper.

https://www.bcferries.com/news-releases/fleet-renewal-underway-as-bc-ferries-prepares-for-busy-easter-weekend

Apr 18
Love3

PORTS

By 2025 Newsletter week 16

No Bids for the Gozo Channel Ferry

A recent government call for tenders to lease a new ferry for Gozo Channel operations concluded without receiving any bids, as confirmed by Gozo Minister Clint Camilleri. The tender, which opened on February 16 and closed on April 2, aimed to replace the aging MV Nikolaos—a Greek-flagged vessel over 30 years old, chartered in 2019, and reportedly costing the government €14,000 per day in rental and staff expenses, excluding fuel .​

Nationalist MPs Alex Borg and Ivan Castillo had previously expressed concerns about the tender, with Borg describing it as “a tender set to fail.” In response to the lack of interest, Minister Camilleri indicated that a new call for tenders might be issued. Additionally, he mentioned plans to issue a tender by mid-year for the construction of a new ferry tailored to Gozo Channel’s specifications .​

Currently, Gozo Channel operates three other ferries built in Malta to its specifications.​

Source: https://timesofmalta.com/article/call-tender-gozo-ferry-flops.1108201

Apr 18
Love3

Thessaloniki Port Authority S.A. – FY2024 Financial Highlights

By 2025 Newsletter week 16
  • Record revenues:
    • €100.7 million, up 17% from €85.9 million in 2023.
    • Growth across all segments:
      • Container Terminal: +19%
      • Conventional Cargo: +14%
      • Passenger Traffic: +54%
      • Real Estate: +7%
    • Profitability:
      • Gross profit: €47.1 million (+25%)
      • EBITDA: €42.6 million (+25%, margin: 42%)
      • Earnings before tax: €36.3 million (+37%)
      • Net profit: €28 million (+38%)
      • Earnings per share: €2.78
    • Dividend:
      • Proposed at €2.00/share, up 54% from €1.30/share
      • To be approved at AGM on 14 May 2025
    • Liquidity:
      • €123 million in cash, equivalents, and financial assets
      • Includes €76.4 million in long-term deposits
      • Up €28 million YoY
    • Capital expenditure:
      • €6.3 million in 2024
    • Outlook:
      • Master Plan approved, enabling key investments including Pier 6 expansion
Apr 18
Love3

Interferry Welcomes Historic IMO GHG Regulations

By 2025 Newsletter week 16

After more than 15 years of negotiations, the IMO has adopted global rules to reduce the carbon intensity of shipping fuels, marking a major step toward meeting its greenhouse gas targets. Under the new Global Fuel Standard, ships must gradually reduce the carbon content of the energy they use, starting in 2028 and benchmarked against 2008 levels.

The compliance system includes financial penalties for high-emission fuels and rewards for low-carbon alternatives. Revenue will help fund the IMO’s Net-Zero initiatives. Interferry supports the move, though notes the new system’s complexity.

Read more on the Interferry website: https://interferry.com/regulatory-reports/

And this is the IMO announcement: https://www.imo.org/en/MediaCentre/PressBriefings/pages/IMO-approves-netzero-regulations.aspx