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2022 Newsletter week 41

Oct 13
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DFDS September Volumes: Freight continues growth in Mediterranean and North Sea

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Ferry – freight:

  • Due to lower volumes on the Dover Strait and on the Baltic Sea, total volumes in September 2022 were 7.5% below 2021. Freight volumes were above 2021 in all other regions.
  • North Sea volumes were above 2021 despite a negative impact from a strike in Felixstowe port as volumes to a large extent were diverted to the Immingham port instead.
  • Volumes in the Mediterranean network continued to grow driven by Turkish industrial production and exports.
  • Channel’s volumes were below 2021 following lower activity on the Dover Strait on account of a decrease in total market volumes and addition of capacity by Irish Ferries.
  • Channel’s year-to-date volumes were 0.3% above 2021.
  • Baltic Sea’s volumes were below 2021 due to the war in Ukraine, although to a lower extent than in previous months.
  • For the last twelve months 2022-21, the total transported freight lane metres decreased 1.5% to 43.1m from 43.8m in 2021-20.

Ferry – passenger

  • The number of passengers increased more than three times to 371k equal to 82% of volumes in September 2019, the latest comparable month pre-Covid-19.
  • The number of cars equalled 89% of volumes in 2019. Channel’s volumes were reduced by the addition of capacity by Irish Ferries.
  • For the last twelve months 2022-21, the total number of passengers was 3.3m compared to 0.8m in 2021-20 and 5.1m in 2019.
Oct 13
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The Grimaldi Group acquires a controlling stake in the Port of Igoumenitsa

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The consortium made up of Grimaldi Euromed, Minoan Lines Shipping and Investment Construction Commercial & Industrial is the preferred bidder in the tender for the majority Port of Igoumenitsa share acquisition (67%).

The decision was made public by the Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund – the fund in charge of managing the privatisation programme of ports and other public assets in Greece.

The financial offer amounts to € 84.17 million.

The concession relating to the Port of Igoumenitsa (owned by the Igoumenitsa Port Authority) includes the right to exclusively use and manage the assets of the port area of ​​Igoumenitsa, the fishing shelters of Sagiada and Plataria and the yacht shelter of Syvota. Igoumenitsa is the main port of Epirus and one of the largest commercial ports in Greece, strategic for connections between mainland Greece and the rest of Europe.

Oct 13
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Levante Ferries’ RoPax SMYRNA DI LEVANTE enters service on the Thessaloniki – Izmir line

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Piraeus, October 7, 2022, — inauguration festivities of SMYRNA DI LEVANTE of Levante Ferries.

The fully rebuilt ropax is a new “sea bridge”, connecting Thessaloniki with Izmir for the first time on October 10, 2022.

The interior of the ship was completely redesigned by Mr Apostolos Molindris and his architects’ team and exudes an oriental environment.

Levante Ferries’ aim is to operate the line throughout the year, not seasonal, while operators and market executives estimate that the specific line will manage to strengthen both cities in terms of tourism and commerce.

The journey will last 14 hours at 19 knots. The offered facilities are for 950 passengers (80 cabins, 250 beds and 220 air-type seats). Her garage capacity is for 430 cars or 58 trucks (16m).

According to the company’s programme, the ship will depart form Thessaloniki every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 19.00, while from Izmir she will depart every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday at 19.00 with a morning arrival at both ports (09.00).

Oct 13
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Seajet’s new acquisition HSC SPEED JET is on her way to Greece

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The latest acquisition of Seajets, HSC SPEED JET is currently on her way to Greece under tow by tug DUKE II.

The ship was purchased in November 2021 from Latin America (Venezuela) and she is a sister ship of HSC POWER JET. She was built in 1996 by Austal and served on behalf of Scandlines (1996-2002 as FELIX), SNAV (2002-2015 as CROAZIA JET) and Golden Sun Petroleum SA. She is 83m long and her carrying capacity is for 650 passengers and 156 cars. Speed was maximum 40 knots.

HSC SPEED JET will be the 19th high-speed vessel that joins the Seajets’ fleet

Oct 13
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Scandlines completes investment project in low-noise thrusters

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As the last of the four hybrid ferries operating between Puttgarden (Germany) and Rødby (Denmark), the double-ended ferry PRINSESSE BENEDIKTE has just had four new thrusters installed.

The new thrusters are far more efficient and thus energy-saving than the previous push thrusters.

Accordingly, Scandlines completes a EUR 13 million investment project in upgrading the Fehmarn ferries and at the same time significantly reduces its environmental impact.

The 16 new thrusters as well as the new thruster control system for the bridge of each vessel have been delivered by Kongsberg Maritime.

Data for Scandlines’ thruster project:

Before: push thrusters with propeller drive at the back (Contaz 35)

Now: pull thrusters with propeller drive at the front (Azipull 120 FP)

Weight: 25 tons each

Diameter: 3.2 metres

Number: 16

CO2 reduction: up to 15 percent

Investment: more than EUR 13 million

Oct 13
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Holland Shipyards Group takes a large step forward with a contract for four autonomous electric ferries

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October 4, 2022 – Holland Shipyards Group signed a contract with Trafikverket Sweden for the delivery of two plus two autonomous all-electric ferries. The ferries will sail according to autonomy level 2 and will be controlled from the remote control center based in Stockholm.

The contract includes the delivery of two ferries with four automooring facilities and two charging stations, a simulator facility and a remote control center. The tender covers the entire procurement: four ferries, eight automooring facilities, four charging stations and more.

The ferries, measuring 86.00 by 14.24 m with a 60-car carrying capacity, are intended to be autonomous vessels level 2 (IMO), meaning that the vessel are remotely monitored, but do have crew on board that can take control whenever necessary. Crossing the ferry route can be done with just the push of a button. While mooring, the vessels are being charged by a shore charging facility within approximately four minutes.

The first ferry is scheduled to be delivered in the second half of 2024 and the other ferries will arrive in constant intervals after the first.

Oct 13
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Ettore Morace: “Good news for the Motorways of the Seas, also in Spain”

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Mergers and acquisitions between shipping companies, consolidation, bigger ships, ports and berths to be redesigned, reshoring of production to Europe or North Africa, Mediterranean trades, new technologies and the impact of the war in Ukraine. These are some of the trending topics on the table according to Ettore Morace, CEO of Trasmed Gle (company part of Grimaldi group) and founder of Malta Shipbrokers International.

Speaking at the Euromed Convention held in Sorrento, he revealed that the Spanish Government, for the time ever, allocated EUR 60 million to support the Motorways of the Seas, of which EUR 20 million for the first year. Grimaldi’s customers will benefit from this measure for the lines linking the ports of Valencia and Barcelona to Italy and also for the routes between Spain and the Baltic region.

Recently Grimaldi and Trasmed also opened a new roro link Salerno – Sagunto with stops in Cagliari and Palma de Mallorca.

“We are making a small revolution in maritime transport to the Balearic islands,” Morace commented. “Thanks to synergies withing the group and to the new Salerno – Sagunto line we are diverting ‘Eco-series’ ships to Palma trying to shift trailer traffic from ropax ferries to roro units. In this way we aim to reduce waiting time in port and therefore we can make the ships sailing at slower speed.”

Talking to FERRY SHIPPING NEWS he further added that “this is still a waiting time for the shipowners as we are all waiting to understand what are the new technologies and new fuels available and in compliance with Net Zero Emission. A ready technology still does not exist.”

The seasoned broker and manager also underlined that today, all dual-fuel LNG ferries are using traditional fuels.”

Talking about the impact of the war in Ukraine on the ferry market, Morace thinks that, “the price increase of raw materials have slowed down the current phase of mergers and acquisitions,” but he concluded that, “as soon as the situation normalizes, the phase of consolidation of shipping companies will continue.”

Oct 13
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Sefine shipyard launched NEREA, first ropax for Siremar

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Turkish shipbuilder Sefine launched NEREA, the new ferry ordered by Siremar (company part of Caronte & Tourist group) in Q1, 2021.

This new 8,300 GT ropax, entirely financed by Caronte & Tourist, is part of a wider fleet renovation plan. Another sister ship of the ELIO series has been commissioned for the Strait of Messina and further two to three vessels are likely to be ordered in the near future for the shortsea routes to Sicily.

NEREA is being built according to a design from Naos Design and will be ready for delivery before the next summer season.

Dimensions: 110m long, 20m wide, 800 passengers, 420 lane metres

Route: port of Milazzo – Aeolian Islands

Propulsion: Dual-fuel LNG hybrid

Oct 13
0

BC Ferries: More ships, more service

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Modernization and replacement of vessels, terminals and IT systems are the centrepieces of BC Ferries’ Performance Term Six submission provided to the BC Ferries Commissioner recently for rate determination activities.

The 12-Year Capital Plan responds to anticipated passenger and vehicle growth and changing customer needs. It includes:

  • Building 7 new major vessels to replace 6 existing ships, and an incremental vessel to support growth and improve resiliency
  • Building 4 more Island Class vessels to improve capacity on inter-island routes
  • 2 new Island Class to serve the Crofton – Salt Spring Island route
  • 1 new Island Class to serve the Quadra Island – Cortes Island route
  • 1 new Island Class to serve as a relief vessel and allow for the redeployment of existing vessels to support growth on several routes.

In addition to investments included in the 12-Year Capital Plan, BC Ferries is planning customer enhancements including:

  • Expanding two-ship operation on the Horseshoe Bay – Langdale route during peak season to increase sailing frequency.
  • Increasing sailing frequency between Nanaimo and Metro Vancouver to better support changing travel patterns.
  • Providing an additional sailing each week in peak season between Prince Rupert and Haida Gwaii.
  • Deploying a second vessel on the Swartz Bay – Salt Spring Island route in peak season.
  • Deploying a larger vessel on the Denman Island – Hornby Island route in peak season.
https://www.bcferrycommission.ca/