Category

2020 Newsletter week 26

Jun 25
0

FERRY SHIPPING

By | 2020 Newsletter week 26 | No Comments

Brittany Ferries And Somanor Confirm Termination Of Honfleur Shipbuilding Contract

Somanor SAS (a semi-public company bringing together the Normandy Region, and the Calvados and Manche Departments), and Brittany Ferries have confirmed the termination of the construction contract for Honfleur with the Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft (FSG) shipyard. (17 June 2020)

The vessel has been under construction in Flensburg, Germany, since 2017. HONFLEUR was originally scheduled to enter service in June 2019, but delivery of the vessel has been postponed several times due to persistent financial problems encountered by the yard’s management.

The change of main shareholder in September 2019, with the arrival of Lars Windhorst and the Tennor group, did not allow the yard to return to growth and competitiveness.

With the surprise announcement that the yard was placed under the protection of the Commercial Court in May 2020, and unsuccessful discussions with the current management of FSG and its main creditors, Somanor and Brittany Ferries, the backers of HONFLEUR, acknowledged that they had lost confidence in the yard’s ability to complete the vessel within a reasonable period of time.

Jun 25
0

The Hellenic Ministry Of Shipping Provides Another €15 Million To Support Coastal Shipping

By | 2020 Newsletter week 26 | No Comments

The Hellenic Ministry of Shipping and Island Policy announced a second €15 million aid package in order to cover part of the ships operating costs. Furthermore, the aid is given as an incentive for the further recovery of the ferry network, as well as the strengthening and enrichment of the routes for a period until July 20.

At the same time, another package of subsidies for maritime labour is expected by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs. This aid package is much- awaited by the shipping companies who estimate that it will help them to cover a substantial part of their fleet operating costs. As far as the passenger traffic is concerned, despite the seemingly better picture of the last few days, May 2020 presented a 60% reduction compared to May 2019. A figure that is essentially low for that period of the year. Also, June 2020 is expected to be worst by 65% -70% compared to June 2019.

Shipping companies underline that the picture of “full” ships that presented by the media is completely “false”, as the ships are routed with a 60% protocol, while the number of routes are also much less compared to 2019. The same period, last year, all the lines were served by more than 20 high-speed ferries while this year high speed crafts are completely absent.

The main priority of the Ministry of Shipping is to introduce -this summer- as many ships as possible into the Aegean as well as to increase the number of routes. At the same time, is preparing a proposal to the European Commission in cooperation with the Ministry of Finance in order to compensate the shipping companies with funds from European resources. Something that is expected to be done by the end of the season.

Moreover, the Ministry is intensifying the measures at ferries in order to be much safer for the passengers due to Covid-19. For this purpose, they deployed extensive inspections on ships at sea by the Coast Guard. The aim of these inspections is the full implementation of protection measures, by crews and passengers, at a period where passenger traffic is expected to increase due to the gradual rise of tourist flows in Greece.

Jun 25
0

CLdN Links Leixōes with Göteborg Via Zeebrugge

By | 2020 Newsletter week 26 | No Comments

Only one week after the launch of their new triangle service between Santander, Liverpool and Dublin, CLdN Ro-Ro has added Zeebrugge as a port of call to their bi-weekly Leixōes-Rotterdam service.

This move strengthens CLdN’s network to and from the Iberian Peninsula even further.

CLdN has organised for two of their weekly services from Leixōes to Rotterdam, to have an extra call in Zeebrugge. From the port of Zeebrugge they will, as from now, offer their clients additional through – shipment services to Esbjerg and Göteborg. “As a result, we now have a reliable, cost-efficient and environmentally friendly shortsea connection from the very south to the most northern parts of Europe,” says a CLdN spokesman.

To maximise capacity and minimise their carbon footprint as much as possible, the shipping company has chosen to deploy the latest generation of H5 class vessels (carrying up to 450 freight units + 200 new cars per shipment) to the route.

WATCH First Arrival Of CLdN LAURELINE In The Port Of Leixões

Jun 25
0

Tallink’s ROMANTIKA To Offer Direct Sailings From Riga To Saaremaa And Åland

By | 2020 Newsletter week 26 | No Comments

 In July, Tallink will operate two special return trips to new destinations directly from Riga, to Åland islands in Finland and Saaremaa island in Estonia.

The sailings will all be operated with ROMANTIKA, which normally operates on the Riga-Stockholm route.

In order to ensure that travellers have plenty of time in each of the destinations to see the sights, enjoy some cycling or to go hiking or fishing, the company has increased the time available to spend at the destinations, with 9 hours available for exploring Åland and 12 hours available for discovering Saaremaa.

Tickets for the Romantika July departures will be available from today, 19 June 2020 on the company’s website www.tallink.lv.

In addition to the special cruises, Tallink will also operate four return trips on the regular route of Riga-Stockhom-Riga for work-only travellers. These trips will depart from Riga on 8, 14, 22 and 28 July 2020.

Jun 25
0

Tallink Adds More Departures To Tallinn-Turku Route For Late July And Early August

By | 2020 Newsletter week 26 | No Comments

The new temporary Tallinn-Turku route launched for this summer, has turned out to be so popular that Tallink Grupp has decided to add 6 more departures to this route in late July and early August. BALTIC QUEEN will operate on this route and will operate for a further three weeks between the two cities. In total, 12 return trips will be operated on this route this summer, thus enabling holidaymakers to plan shorter or longer trips to either Estonia or Finland.

Jun 25
0

Fast Ferries’ EKATERINI P. is getting prepared for the summer 2020

By | 2020 Newsletter week 26 | No Comments

The repair works on the Fast Ferries’ EKATERINI P. engine room are intensive. A development that shows the intention of her operator to reactivate her for the summer season 2020.

The ship had suffered serious engine damage on April 2019 and led her to the Perama Repair Zone in order to install new engines.

On February 2020, the two brand new MAK-Caterpillar 8M32C (7,200kW) arrived from Germany and have already replaced the older Daihatsu machinery set (7,000 kW).

EKATERINI P. will undergo her dry docking from 13 to 16 July. On July 22 she is expected to have her first sea trials testing her new engines. In any case, Fast Ferries is examining the developments very carefully in order to decide whether it is better for the company to reactivate the ship or not. Meanwhile, the current bookings are not so encouraging.

Jun 25
0

AINAFTIS’ Roro ARMENISTIS Made Her Debut At Piraeus Port

By | 2020 Newsletter week 26 | No Comments

On June 21, roro vessel ARMENISTIS (4.529gt/1972) of the Ainaftis Shipping Company (Kalimassias) arrived at Neos Molos (Drapetsona/Piraeus).

The former CTMA VOYAGEUR was at Avlis Shipyards (Chalkis) since March 12, in order to be repaired. On April 28, she was registered in Chios, while she is expected to be introduced in a North Aegean line. The small roro was built in Norway in 1972 as the ANDERIDA for Stena Line and purchased from Canadian CTMA in February 2020.

Jun 25
0

Attica Group Implements Specific And Effective Infection Prevention Measures Certified By Bureau Veritas

By | 2020 Newsletter week 26 | No Comments

With the tourist season now commencing and the transportation of passengers to and from the Greek islands now permitted, Attica Group is using the new service ‘Restart your business with BV’ in cooperation with Bureau Veritas, in order to certify the quality and reliability that have established the Group as a provider of maritime passenger transport.

Introduced in May, “Restart your business with BV”, addresses biological risks, as posed by COVID-19 and other infections, providing procedures and measures to protect people. The new service includes a framework of standards, which after the completion of strict audits and certification, is validated through the new Bureau Veritas label ‘SAFEGUARD’, providing operators, crew and passengers with the confidence that dangers occurring from potential infections or pandemics are being addressed effectively.

10 vessels of Attica Group have now been certified by Bureau Veritas.

Mr. Spyros Paschalis, CEO of Attica Group commenting further said: ‘Attica Group is systematically implementing measures towards the protection of the health of its passengers and crews on board its vessels. Since the first day of the outbreak of COVID-19 we intensified and adapted our procedures accordingly, remaining always in close collaboration with the Health Authorities. During this process we became familiar with “Restart your Business with BV”. Bureau Veritas, after checking carefully our procedures and based on the standards it has established, concluded that they are being implemented correctly and proceeded to the issuance of certification for each vessel with the SAFEGUARD label, demonstrating that the services offered by Attica Group are effectively addressing health, sanitation and hygiene requirements.”

Jun 25
0

INTERESTING

By | 2020 Newsletter week 26 | No Comments

New LNG Roro Vessels Reduce Greenhouse Gases By 63%

Wallenius SOL’s new, ice-rated LNG-powered RoRo vessels will have a significantly lower environmental impact compared to older vessels. According to IVL, hull design had a major beneficial effect on energy efficiency.

IVL – the independent Swedish Environmental Research Institute – was commissioned to calculate how the new type of vessel compares with those currently plying the route from the northern Baltic to ports on the continent. The vessels are currently under construction at the CIMC Raffles shipyard in China, where the project is led by Wallenius Marine. A comparison was made with the roro ship THULELAND, which has been in operation since 2006 and is best-in-class in terms of low environmental impact.

Read more