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2024 Newsletter week 29

Jul 19
2

Seven new electric ferries for the Clyde and Hebrides

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Transport Scotland has announced plans to acquire seven new electric ferries to enhance the resilience of the Clyde and Hebrides ferry network and support island communities. 

The first stage of the competitive tender process will assess if shipyards interested in bidding for the contract meet the financial and technical criteria to take on the project. 

Estimated costs for Phase 1 of the Small Vessels Replacement Programme are around £175 million, for the seven new vessels as well as port improvements and shore power upgrades. 

The invitation to tender for this contact is expected to issue around September 2024, with a view to awarding the contract in March 2025. 

Source: Transport Scotland 

Jul 19
2

EU to invest €7 billion into sustainable, safe and smart transport infrastructure

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The European Commission has selected 134 transport projects to receive over €7 billion in EU grants from the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), the EU’s instrument for strategic investment in infrastructure. 

Around 20 maritime ports in Ireland, Spain, Finland, the Netherlands, Germany, Malta, Lithuania, Cyprus, Croatia, Greece, and Poland will receive support for infrastructure upgrades, some of which will enable them to supply shore-side electricity to ships, or transport renewable energy. 

Rail projects will receive 80% of the €7 billion. 

Source: European Commission 

Dublin Port has been awarded €73.8 million in funding from the EU’s CEF Transport (Connecting Europe Facility for Transport) as part of a €7billion EU investment in sustainable, safe and smart transport infrastructure. (Source: Dublin Port) 

Jul 19
2

Damen cuts first steel on four full electric ferries for BC Ferries

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Damen Shipyards Galati yard cut first steel on the first two of four, fully electric Island Class Ferries that it is building for BC Ferries, on 16 July. The ferries will be the first fully electric vessels to operate in the company’s fleet. 

Operating with battery packs with the capacity to supply the power train with 2,000 kilowatt-hour of electricity, the vessels will carry up to 47 vehicles and 390 passengers. 

Damen will also supply BC Ferries with the required charging towers. The ferries will recharge efficiently during (dis)embarkation of passengers, using renewable electricity. 

The vessels are based on Damen’s double-ended RoRo 8113 E3 model. The design features Damen’s in-house quality label E3, standing for Environmentally Friendly, Efficient in Operation and Economically Viable.   

Photo from left to right: Ed Hooper (Executive Director Shipbuilding BCF), Mark Vermeulen (Managing Director Damen OSV), Richard Tijpens (PM Damen OSV) Dragos Cojocariu (PM Damen Shipyards Galati), David Tolman (Program Manager BCF) 

Jul 19
2

Panorama ferry at North Sporades run?

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It is reported that Smart Ferries’ ship Panorama will probably be introduced on the Agios Konstantinos-North Sporades (Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos) route from July 18 to September 8, 2024. The specific ship was serving on the Rafina-Marmari route since 2011 on behalf of Panorama Shipping Co, which went out of business in July and sold its fleet to the new established Smart Lines. 

Panorama was built in Germany in 1987 for the Government of the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago and launched on the Port of Spain (Trinidad) – Scarborough (Tobago) route. She was sold to Greece in 2011. Her carrying capacity is for 700 passengers and 145 cars.  

Photo: Dimitris Mendakis 

Jul 19
2

Bluferries’ Sikania II Hybrid launched in Greece

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Bluferries, the company part of the FS Italiane Group operating in maritime transportation in the Strait of Messina, C.T.E. Perdikaris Engineering, Architectural & Technical Services Ltd., and RINA, announced the launch of the hybrid RoRo passenger ship named Sikania II. 

 “This innovative vessel is set to revolutionize passenger travel between Villa San Giovanni (Reggio Calabria) and Messina, Italy” is written in a statement from the firms involved.  

Designed by the Greek company C.T.E. Perdikaris and built in Greece by Celt under Rina surveillance, this vessel represents a significant leap forward in sustainable maritime technology. 

This vessel measures approximately 105m in length and is designed to transport 22 heavy vehicles or 125 cars and 400 persons. 

The true innovation of this vessel lies in its use of green technologies. The ship is equipped with four azimuth thrusters Z-drive, each connected directly to one diesel engine of 1,000kW and one electrical motor of 350kW. The electrical motors are connected to NMC batteries with an energy storage capacity of 1MWh. The vessel is energy-independent, featuring an advanced energy management system.  

During navigation, the batteries can be charged through the electrical motors acting as shaft generators. The stored energy is used for hybrid propulsion, combining diesel engines and electric motors to supply power to the azimuth thrusters. When approaching port, the vessel operates on fully electric propulsion for zero emissions during all maneuvering, loading, and unloading operations. Additionally, solar panels fitted on board provide 25kW of power, supplying all ship accommodation services. 

Jul 19
2

Growth for Port of Antwerp-Bruges in first half of 2024

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Positive trend in container throughput expands to other product groups 

RoRo traffic dropped in the first half of 2024 by 5.7% – a minor improvement compared to the end of the last quarter.  

The congestion at the RoRo terminals persists due to the altered business model of the car manufacturers stockpiling at the ports, decreased ​ demand and delayed exports caused by sailing around the Cape of Good Hope. This resulted in a decrease in throughput for all transport materials by 13.2%. The lower throughput of second-hand cars in particular (-45.8%) contributed to this, followed by high & heavy (-22.7%), trucks (-17.6%) and new cars (-9%).  

Throughput of unaccompanied cargo (excluding containers) carried on RoRo vessels, on the other hand, rose by 2.4%. The decline in throughput to and from the United Kingdom (-4.6%) was more than compensated by an increase in throughput to and from Spain and Portugal (+35%), Scandinavia (+18%) and Ireland (+1.4%). 

For the complete results: Newsroom Port of Antwerp Bruges 

Click for the complete results: Newsroom Port of Antwerp Bruges
Jul 19
2

DFDS June volumes: continued growth for both freight and passengers

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Ferry – freight:  

  • Total volumes in June 2024 were 5.8% above 2023 and up 0.9% adjusted for the addition of Strait of Gibraltar routes in 2024 and closure of the Calais-Tilbury route in 2023. 
  • North Sea volumes were below 2023 as higher volumes on the Swedish routes were offset by lower temperature controlled volumes, mainly food, between the Continent and the UK. 
  • Mediterranean volumes were also in June above 2023 driven by higher volumes on all routes. 
  • Channel volumes continued in June to be above 2023 as did volumes on the Baltic Sea routes. 
  • For the last twelve months 2024-23, the total transported freight lane metres increased 2.8% to 40.2m from 39.1m in 2023-22. The increase was 1.0% adjusted for the addition of Strait of Gibraltar routes and the Calais-Tilbury route closure. 

Ferry – passenger 

  • The number of passengers in June 2024 was 46.2% above 2023 and up 11.1% adjusted for the addition of the Strait of Gibraltar routes.  
  • The adjusted increase continued to be driven mainly by higher Channel volumes. 
  • The number of cars were 26.2% above 2023 and up 3.6% adjusted for Strait of Gibraltar. 
  • For the last twelve months 2024-23, the total number of passengers increased 26.2% to 5.5m compared to 4.3m for 2023-22. The increase was 8.6% adjusted for Strait of Gibraltar.