CORRECTION

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Last week we had an error with the link. Here is a new link to the right webpage.

Interferry Conference Set To Drive Debate On Industry’s Major Issues

Keynote speakers from the military, merchant fleet and port sectors will feature when Interferry addresses three of shipping’s most important issues:

  • Safety
  • Security
  • Environment

The 2018 Interferry conference in Cancun is hosted by Ultramar, Mexico’s leading passenger ferry company, and takes place on Monday and Tuesday October 8-9 as the core of a knowledge-sharing, networking and social event running from October 6-10.

Color Line Gets NOK 33.8 Million To Operate A Freight Ferry

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Color Line AS, Hav Lines AS and Viasea AS have been granted subsidies from the Norwegian Government (Kystverket), to move more freight from the road to the sea.

For Color Line, the only ferry operator in this project, ‘Road to Sea’ is about establishing a freight-only ro-ro line between Oslo and Kiel.

The start of the new route is set to January 9, 2019. In total, 1.4 million tonnes of goods could be transferred during the subsidized period.

In July Color Line already announced the purchase of ro-ro FINNCARRIER for this new route.

Illustration: Midnordic Green Transport Corridor – NECL II

Tirrenia Negotiating A Sale And Charter Back For Three Ferries, According To Sardinia Region’s Former President Mauro Pili

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Tirrenia is reported to be in negotiation with a Japanese counterpart, for a sale and charter back deal regarding its three most modern ferries SHARDEN, BITHIA and JANA.

Source: Mauro Pili, Sardinia region’s former president, in a post on Facebook.

Mauro Pili also said that the price for the three vessels should be €210m. However, he opposed the sale, since they are part of the public service contract for Sardinia, signed by Tirrenia with the Italian state.

Tirrenia immediately sued Mauro Pili, seeking compensatory damages totalling €210m for slander.

In order to defend the company’s reputation, as for the sale of the three ferries, Vincenzo Onorato’s group repeated what was communicated to investor relations one year ago. After Debtwire reported that Moby was considering options to sale and leaseback four vessels with a US institutional investment fund, the Italian ferry group said a in a statement: “It’s part of the ordinary course of Moby’s business to analyze, consider and implement the sale or acquisition of vessels. In this context, we are periodically in discussion with third parties with respect to such transactions. We publicly announce and comment on material transactions for the sale and acquisitions of vessels when we enter into definitive and binding agreements”.

Photo and words by Nicola Capuzzo

GNV ‘Obliged’ To Install Scrubbers On The New Ro-Pax Ships Ordered In China

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Grandi Navi Veloci will be obliged to install scrubbers, rather than using LNG as a fuel on the new ferries ordered earlier this year at Guangzhou Shipyard International shipyard. Reason: the port of Genoa will not be able to provide gas for ships in the next few years.

This is what Antonio Campagnuolo, Marine operations director of the ferry company controlled by MSC Group, said at a conference held in Genoa, and organized by the local Propeller Club. “Genoa is proceeding too slowly on that project,” he said while talking about the plan to open a LNG station for bunkering ships.

“For our new ferries set to be built in China, our idea was originally to opt for gas but, at least for the first units (further two ships are in option), this will not be possible, mainly because on the routes we cover there is still a lack of LNG facilities.”

Campagnuolo concluded saying that “scrubbers will then be installed on the first new ferries in order to be compliant with the new rules on low sulphur emission coming into force from 2020”.

The four ro-pax vessels (plus further four units in options) jointly ordered in China by GNV and Onorato Armatori will have capacity for 2,500 passengers and crew and offer 3,765 lane metres. The first and third ships will be delivered to Grandi Navi Veloci, while Onorato will take delivery of the other two. The first vessel will come into service late in 2020.

Written by Nicola Capuzzo

Tersan Shipyard Confirms The Order For Two Ships For Kystlink

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Yalova, Turkey-based shipyard Tersan confirmed in a press release that is has signed an agreement with Havila Kystlink AS for the building of two coastal passenger ferries.

  • To be ready in 2020 to operate on Bergen-Kirkeness, together with two ships to be built in Spain. Start of new coastal contract: January 2021, shared with Hurtigruten.
  • Designed by Havyard Design and Solutions AS.
  • Length 122m
  • Powered by LNG and battery.

FERRY PORTS

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Kiel’s Ostuferhafen Access Area Restructured

  • The Port of Kiel is completely restructuring the access area to the Ostuferhafen, its main cargo and logistics hub. It has begun the partial demolition of a former grain storage facility.
  • Result? The demolition along with the integration of adjacent areas will free up 2.8 hectares in the port access area on which expanded hard standing space can be created for trucks, trailers and cars.
  • Who benefits? DFDS, SCA, Iggesund, the forwarders (more space) and cruise shipping.

Photo: Tom Körber