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2020 Newsletter week 34

Aug 20
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FERRY SHIPPING

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UK Quarantaine Measures Force Brittany Ferries to Lay Up Ships

Following the imposition of quarantine on travellers returning from France and the effect this has had on reservations, Brittany Ferries has been forced to change its schedules.

The following ships and route amendments have now been confirmed:

ARMORIQUE will be laid up from 31 August. She currently serves the Plymouth to Roscoff route.

PONT-AVEN will replace her Plymouth – Roscoff from 10 September with three return trips per week. PONT-AVEN will also continue to operate one return sailing from Plymouth to Santander and from Roscoff to Cork during the week.

BRETAGNE will be laid up from 7 September. She currently serves the Portsmouth to St Malo route.

ETRETAT will not resume crossings as planned. CONNEMARA will continue to operate the Cherbourg and Le Havre rotations from Portsmouth, but will no longer serve Spain.

Aug 20
2

New Company: Anarres Shipping Launches Ro-Ro Service Between Italy And Tunisia

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This week, a brand-new Cyprus-based shipping company called Anarres Shipping is launching a regular ro-ro service between the port of Marina di Carrara, in Italy (between La Spezia and Livorno), and Sousse, in Tunisia.

The general manager of the company, Nikkos J Frangos, explains to Ferry Shipping News that the chartered VASALAND will be deployed. “Our project is to serve an expected increasing cargo volume. Many factories are relocating from Bangladesh and China to North Africa. That’s why we shall see in the near future many new plants to be built in Tunisia.”

The service will be regular, with a weekly frequency. The ship’s capacity exceeds 2,000 lane metres.

“Our target is to reach between 10,000 and 12,000 trailers per year,” says Frangos, adding that, “a second step will be to add a call in France. In this case a faster vessel will be necessary.”

The website specifies that, “Anarres Shipping is an initiative by Nicholas J Frangos & Partners. Nicholas has a long family history in shipping, since 1946 (Victoria Steamship – London), and is now establishing a new liner service with one goal:  to securely transfer your goods between Italy, France and Tunisia with a timely, reliable and regular shipping service.”

General agent of the company in Italy is Bucchioni Shipping Agency.

From left to right: Harry Papadimitriou, Aris Vasilopoulos, Nikkos J Frangos, Sandro Bucchioni, Luca Sterpini 

Aug 20
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Stena Line Adds Seventh Ship to Belfast Operations

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Stena Line was forced to remove one freight ship from its Belfast hub because of COVID related drop in freight volumes.

Stena Line has now announced that it will charter SEATRUCK PANORAMA to help boost freight capacity on its Belfast to Liverpool and Belfast to Heysham routes.

Reason: increase in freight demand during summer and anticipated busy autumn.

SEATRUCK PANORAMA is expected to start service on September 2, and will make 10 sailings weekly between Belfast and Liverpool/Heysham.

The addition of Panorama on the Northern Ireland to England corridor will increase freight capacity by 28% and frequency will rise from 46 to 56 crossings weekly compared to the present

In January 2021, Stena Line will further boost freight capacity when it adds the newly built STENA EMBLA to its Belfast – Liverpool service.

Aug 20
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French Quarantine Plan Is Worst Possible News for Holiday Makers, Says Brittany Ferries

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780,000 passengers during a normal summer

240,000 passengers were expected in 2020

???,000 passengers after UK Quarantine restrictions for people coming from France

Quarantine restrictions on those holidaying with Brittany Ferries in Normandy and Brittany will heap more pain on an already terrible summer season for the company and its passengers.

“This announcement is dreadful news for Brittany Ferries,” said Christophe Mathieu CEO Brittany Ferries. “It threatens what little remains of an already disastrous summer season. Our only hope is that holiday makers visiting our French destinations follow the stoicism of those who have travelled with us to Spain over the last fortnight. Despite quarantine restrictions on their return to the UK, only around one in five of those who booked have cancelled or changed their travel plans. Of course, what this will mean for future bookings remains to be seen.”

Press Release
Aug 20
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Brittany Ferries Urges French Government To Drop Reciprocal Quarantine Plans

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Brittany Ferries says it is lobbying French government at the highest levels to avoid the implementation of reciprocal quarantine measures. In a normal year the company carries about 2.6 million customers, of which 85 percent are British. Any move that might dissuade more Brits to cancel their travel plans would hurt Brittany Ferries and the regions it serves, particularly the tourism sector in Brittany and Normandy.

Press Release
Aug 20
0

Sixth LNG-powered Ship Joins the Baleària Fleet

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Ropax SICILIA has been refitted and re-engined at the WestSea Viana Yard in Portugal.

  • An LNG tank with a 425m3 capacity has been installed, good for a range of 1,100 nautical miles.
  • The MAN9L48 / 60 engines have been converted into the 9L51 / 60DF dual fuel version.
  • Installation of fuel consumption and emission monitoring system (as on BAHAMA MAMA), subsidised for 50% by CEF Transport funds. this is the first phase of the project for a future fleet control tower that will allow operations and vessels to be managed more efficiently from different aspects, such as safety, preventive maintenance of equipment and commercial efficiency. In 2022, five ships in the fleet will have this monitoring.

Baleària decided already in 2012 to make LNG its main fuel.

Aug 20
0

FERRY FINANCE

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Sharp Deterioration In Viking Line’s Results Due To The Impact Of COVID-19

Sales

  • H1 -57% EUR 97.5 million (227.0)
  • Q2 -82% EUR 22.6 million (131.1)
  • H1 Operating income EUR -27.4 million (-8.8)
  • H1 Net financial items EUR -2.1 million (-2.2)
  • H1 Income before taxes EUR -29.5 million (-11.0).
  • H1 Income after taxes EUR -23.7 million (-8.7).

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has caused a serious deterioration in the Group’s operating conditions. Viking Line reacted quickly to the crisis and adjusted operations to the changed market. Salary and other employment benefit expenses decreased during the second quarter. A large percentage of the staff in Finland was furloughed. In Sweden and Estonia, government-funded furloughs were also made use of.

During the period March 19-June 18, the group received aid from Finland’s National Emergency Supply Agency for cargo traffic to ensure the security of supply for four of the Group’s vessels serving the Turku – Långnäs – Stockholm, Mariehamn – Kapellskär and Helsinki – Tallinn routes.

The Group’s three other vessels were not in service at times during the period March – June. Although cargo traffic generated revenue to cover variable costs and a small percentage of fixed costs for each vessel during the second quarter, it did not generate positive operating income for the vessels in service that received aid

Revised Outlook

Change in prospects: The impact of COVID-19 pandemic has continued to cause a deterioration in the Group’s consolidated results and financial position during the peak season as well. Results for Q3, when the most of the Group’s income for the year is generated, will be significantly worse than in previous years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The earnings outlook for the financial year 2020 has therefore been revised. Income for the full financial year will be negative.

Press Release Viking Line
Aug 20
0

Fjord1 Q2: Ferries Up, Tourism Down

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With more new vessels added, and new route contracts, the ferry division of Fjord1 has done a good job with a revenue increase of 14%.

The tourism division (fjord sightseeing etc) was of course affected by the absence of foreign travellers.

Highlights

  • New ferry contracts secured revenue growth of 9% and EBITDA-margin of 33%
  • Ferry and Passenger Boats are shielded by contract structures based on capacity and sailing frequency, not traffic volumes.
  • Continued operating profit for Catering despite revenue reduction
  • Negative results from joint ventures and associates in Tourism due to strict Covid-19 travel restrictions. There was rise in domestic tourism in July.

Ferry Division Q2

+14% Revenue NOK 698 million (612)

+17% EBITDA NOK 227 million (194)

+15% EBIT NOK 112 million (97)

Fjord1 now has 5 “electric” routes

  • Anda-Lote on E39 outside Sandane (GLOPPEFJORD and EIDSFJORD)
  • Krokeide-Hufthammar outside Bergen (MØKSTRAFJORD and HORGEFJORD)
  • Husavik – Sandvikvåg outside Bergen (HUSAVIK)
  • Brekstad-Valset in Trøndelag (VESTRÅTT and AUSTRÅTT)
  • Hareid-Sulesund on Sunnmøre (HADARØY, GISKØY and SULØY)

Renewal programme comprising 25 vessels coming to an end

  • Delivered in Q1: FLORØY, SILDAFJORD, GRIP, BØMLAFJORD and SMØLA
  • Delivered in June: MØRING
  • The last vessel in the current programme was delivered in August
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