2024 Newsletter week 49

On 3 December 2024, Levante Ferries’ RoPax SMYRNA DI LEVANTE made her maiden arrival at Zakynthos, becoming the largest ferry ever to visit the port. She is set to operate on the Kyllini-Zakynthos-Poros (Kefalonia) route next summer, marking a major expansion for the company and enhancing transport links in the region. Levante Ferries aims to make Zakynthos an even more appealing destination for Mediterranean travellers.

Photo: Kostas Papadopoulos

Since 27 November 2024, Fast Ferries’ EKATERINI P. has been undergoing her annual refit at Perama dry dock. This year, she will receive another major upgrade, further enhancing her reputation as a valuable asset in the Greek ferry market. Re-engined in 2023 with modern MAK-Caterpillar 8M32C engines (7,200 kW) and equipped with CPP, she will now be fitted with new stabilisers. Built in Japan in 1990, EKATERINI P. will return to the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos route fully upgraded.

Photo: Kostas Papadopoulos

SAINT-MALO, Brittany Ferries’ first hybrid vessel powered by LNG and electricity, docked in the port of Santander, Monday, 2 December 2024.

After departing its shipyard on 21 October, it sailed the seas of China, crossed the Indian Ocean, rounded the Cape of Good Hope, and entered the Atlantic before reaching its first destination, Santander.

Photo: Brittany Ferries

Source: Port of Trelleborg

CMAL has announced an upcoming face-to-face drop-in session for the Mallaig–Lochboisdale New Vessel project on 11 December. This engagement will provide an update on the progress of the project, which aims to replace the LORD OF THE ISLES.

More information about the event can be found here.

MAN Energy Solutions has reached a significant milestone in the development of its ME-LGIA dual-fuel engine, with full-scale testing of a two-stroke engine running on ammonia now underway. This marks an important step towards advancing sustainable fuel technology at its Research Centre Copenhagen (RCC).

Read more here.

Austal Philippines has completed the delivery of OCEAN MASTER, a 32-metre aluminium catamaran, to Rottnest Fast Ferries (Australia) in less than a year. Designed by Incat Crowther, the vessel was handed over following successful sea trials in November 2024.

Photo: Austal

The keel-laying ceremony for GNV AURORA, the fourth of four new RoPax ships ordered by the MSC Group, took place, with delivery expected in 2026.

Photo: GNV

Welcome to ECO SALERNO! With a dedicated LinkedIn post, the Grimaldi Group announced the delivery of ECO SALERNO, the 13th vessel in the Grimaldi Green 5th Generation (GG5G) series. “Handed over on 3 December by Jinling Shipyard in Nanjing, ECO SALERNO joins a pioneering fleet of hybrid ro-ro vessels, further reinforcing Grimaldi’s commitment to sustainability and innovation in the shipping industry,” the Naples-based company shared.

Like its twelve sister ships, ECO SALERNO has a length of 238 metres, a beam of 34 metres, a gross tonnage of 67,311 tonnes, and a service speed of 20.8 knots. Flying the Italian flag, the vessel can transport 7,800 linear metres of rolling freight, equivalent to about 500 trailers.

GNV, part of the MSC Group, celebrated the arrival of its newly built GNV POLARIS at the Port of Naples. This marks the first of four new ro-pax ships ordered from Guangzhou Shipyard International (GSI), China. After departing on 30 October, GNV POLARIS sailed 14,000 miles across two oceans to the Mediterranean.

Set to begin service on 7 January, it will operate on the Genoa-Palermo route. The vessel boasts a gross tonnage of 46,000, a length of 218 metres, a width of 29.6 metres, and a top speed of 25 knots. With 239 cabins, it can accommodate 1,500 passengers and 3,100 linear metres of freight.

Equipped for cold ironing and featuring exhaust gas cleaning systems, SCR, and heat recycling technologies, the ship meets IMO Tier III and EEDI Phase II standards, promoting cleaner air and quieter operations.

Photo: GNV