FERRY SHIPPING

By | 2021 Newsletter week 30 | No Comments

Grimaldi Adds Zeebrugge to its Belgium – Ireland Service

  • 2/w Belgium — Ireland (Cork) ­— Belgium
  • Week schedule: Antwerp-Zeebrugge-Cork-Zeebrugge-Cork-Zeebrugge-Antwerp
  • Ship: EUROCARGO BARI: 3,850 lane metres + 200 cars
  • Start of cooperation with P&O Ferries

At the beginning of May, Grimaldi started a twice-weekly roro service between Antwerp and Cork, with EUROCARGO BARI as route vessel.

Now, since Saturday 24 July, the ship calls twice a week in Zeebrugge, and once a week in Antwerp.

Zeebrugge was already connected with Cork, by the service from CLdN.

Interesting is the cooperation between Grimaldi and P&O Ferries.

In the port of Zeebrugge, the Grimaldi ship calls at the terminal of P&O Ferries.

The press release states that, “the cooperation with P&O Ferries will be extended to commercial activity as well.”

Surprise? NGF Signs LOI for Two Hydrogen Ferries

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  • Nice Green Ferries (NGF) said on its LinkedIn that it signed a LOI with a shipyard group in Norway (Fosen?) for two 140m Ropax Cruise ferries
  • Nice Green Ferries is based in Nice, France (hence the name) (website)
  • Routes: Nice – Corsica and Sardinia
  • The ships have a capacity of 1,200 passengers/400 cars, high standard cabins for all passengers
  • The hybrid electric ships will be be powered by a Hydrogen based power plant and a range of renewable energy sources
  • Scheduled start-up of operations is from Autumn 2023.

Spain – Canary Islands: FRS Leaves, Armas Returns

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  • As from 31 July, Armas takes over the Huelva-Canary route from FRS

FRS will stop operating the weekly connection between Huelva, Lanzarote, Gran Canaria and Tenerife that it had maintained since July 2018 through a freight agreement with Naviera Armas.

This three-year agreement was made with the Spanish fair competition commission (CNMC), to allow Naviera Armas to acquire Trasmediterranea.

The last FRS crossing between the Canary Islands and Huelva will be on 29/30 July.

The day after, Naviera Armas will re-operate the route

The ropax continues to be VOLCÁN DE TINAMAR, the same vessel that FRS chartered from Armas for this route.

Fjord1 Appoints Systems Integrator for Electric Vessel Conversions

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  • Three more vessels to be converted in zero-emission

Fjord1 has contracted Norwegian Electric Systems (NES) to act as system integrator and deliver power control, distribution and battery systems on three ferries set to be converted from gas and diesel propulsion to zero-emission battery operation.

NES will also deliver equipment and control systems for four battery charging stations.

After this, NES will have installed battery systems on board 21 zero-emission ferries.

Once converted, the three vessels will operate on the Drag – Kjøpsvik and Bognes – Skarberget ferry services in North Norway, from December 2022.

Photo, from left: SVP Sales at NES Stein Ruben Larsen, Sales manager at NES Martin Aasheim and Project and Technology Manager at Fjord1 ASA, Nils Kristian Berge.

Brittany Ferries Awarded Green Marine Europe Label

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Brittany Ferries recently received the “Green Marine Europe” label at a ceremony held in Biarritz and organized by the Green Marine Europe program.

This label rewards the Company’s continuous and ambitious work on the environment and recognizes the progress made in this sector during the year 2020.

Launched in 2020, the Green Marine Europe label is the result of the collaboration between the NGO Surfrider Foundation Europe and Green Marine (Alliance Verte), a North American environmental certification program.

New RoRo Link to be Launched by CMA CGM, Connecting France, Spain and Morocco

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CMA CGM starts a new regular roro shortsea Med service connecting Marseille – Barcelona – Casablanca on August 24.

1 RoRo vessel: AKNOUL – 1,200 lane metres

Rotation: 7d – Marseille/Barcelona/Casablanca/Marseille

Frequency: Weekly

Transit times: Marseille > Casablanca in 3 days | Barcelona > Casablanca in 2 days | Casablanca > Marseille in 2.5 days

Advertised as “best transit times in this market” and “50% less CO2 compared to road transport via short ferry routes.”

Some Interesting Points about the Hellenic Coastal Shipping

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  • Greek Ferry Companies are expected to record losses of over 200 million euros in the period 2020-2021, due to the covid-19 crisis, although in 2021 it is estimated that there will be an increase in passenger traffic by 20% to 30% compared to 2020.
  • The first half of 2021 closed with a reduction in passenger traffic by 5% to10%, while July ends with an increase in the number of travellers by 50% compared to July 2020.
  • Passenger traffic has increased compared to last year, while, since July 1, demand has further strengthened, with an increase of 55% to 60% compared to the same period of 2020.
  • Passenger traffic will be subdued in September – October, as the largest part of the demand comes from tourists travelling in groups, which does not show much momentum for the time being.
  • Ferry operators estimate that passenger traffic will return to 2019 levels in 2022 if the pandemic will be stopped and there will be no more restrictive measures. Otherwise, the return of passenger traffic to pre-pandemic levels is postponed until 2024.
  • The 80% – 85% of the passengers are mainly Greeks
  • The expected improvement in passenger traffic this summer will probably not cover the increased fuel costs and the ferry companies are expected to record losses of about 100 million euros.
  • Last year, ferry companies reported losses of 140 million euros, while the State’s financial support was only 30 million euros.

Stena Line’s STENA SCANDICA Completes its Maiden Voyage

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  • Stena Line is deploying two renewed and lengthened ropax ferries on the route between Ventspils in Latvia and Nynäshamn in Sweden this year.
  • The first of the two vessels, STENA SCANDICA, arrived in the port of Nynäshamn on 27 July, when it completed its overnight maiden voyage from Ventspils.
  • The vessel adds another 70% more cabins and 30% more freight capacity compared to the existing vessels.
  • Stena has doubled operations from one vessel and 10 departures per week in 2012 up to two vessels and 24 departures per week for passengers and freight in 2021.
  • Ambition to double the number of passengers on the Baltic Sea route in 3 year
  • Former route vessels STENA LIVIA and STENA FLAVIA will be redeployed on the route Liepāja – Travemünde (when STENA BALTICA is back from the yard in Turkey)