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2024 Newsletter week 51

Dec 20
2

Port of Holyhead Closed until Mid-January after Storm Darragh Damage

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The Port of Holyhead has suffered significant damage during Storm Darragh (6 and 7 December) after two separate berthing incidents.

Originally set to reopen on 20 December, Terminal 3 and Terminal 5 will now remain closed until 15 January 2025 at the earliest, prioritising safety. Both Stena Line and Irish Ferries have announced significant contingency measures to mitigate disruption in this very busy period:

Stena Line:

  • Chartered BEN MY CHREE (Isle of Man Steam Packet) to operate a Dublin–Heysham freight route (from 17 Dec), adding 850 lane metres of freight capacity.
  • Additional Dublin–Birkenhead sailings on STENA ESTRID for car passengers with existing bookings.
  • Stena Line has also deployed STENA ADVENTURER to operate between Dublin and Fishguard.
  • Introduced a 12-hour rule for trailers and unaccompanied vehicles, limiting acceptance to 12 hours before departure for confirmed bookings only.

Irish Ferries:

  • Increased capacity on Rosslare–Pembroke with the redeployment of JAMES JOYCE.
  • ISLE OF INNISFREE on Dublin-Fishguard.
  • Added sailings on the Dublin–Cherbourg corridor, with ULYSSES successfully undertaking its first crossing to France, boosting freight capacity.

CLdN:

  • Implemented a similar 12-hour rule at key terminals including Dublin T4, Liverpool, and Heysham.

As one of the key gateways between the UK and Ireland, Holyhead plays a critical role for freight and passenger transport. Stena Line and Irish Ferries move two million passengers per year and some 1,200 freight units per day.

Photo: Philphos – Commons Wikimedia

Freighlink published a comprehensive overview of the changes on Linkedin. Click on the photo below to access the post.

Dec 20
2

MSC Enters Direct Competition with DFDS and Grimaldi on Türkiye –Trieste Link

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MSC has officially entered the Türkiye –Trieste maritime link market, directly competing with Grimaldi and DFDS.

  • Route: every Saturday: Gebze, Türkiye → Trieste, Italy
  • Transit Time: 4 days to Trieste; 9 days for the return journey to Türkiye
  • Target Cargo: Industrial goods, commercial freight, and automotive cargo
  • 45ft HCPW containers

In a recent statement, the Geneva-based global carrier announced the introduction of 45ft HCPW (high-cube palletwide) containers on its short sea route connecting the Gebze region in Türkiye to Trieste in Northern Italy.

“This door-to-door transportation solution offers customers a very competitively priced option for larger shipments. This strategically designed service addresses the growing demand for reliable and efficient freight solutions while facilitating the shift from traditional trucks and RoRo vessels to larger-capacity containerised transport,” MSC stated.

Departing weekly from Gebze every Saturday, the service ensures a transit time of just four days to Trieste. Customers benefit from enhanced capacity, competitive pricing, and the convenience of working with a global logistics operator. This solution is further supported by MSC’s own inland transportation provider, MEDLOG, in both Türkiye and Italy.

Dec 20
2

Green Shipping Corridor: A New Era for Tyne and IJmuiden

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The Green North Sea Shipping Corridor Project has officially launched. The initiative aims to establish the first green shipping corridors between the Port of Tyne (UK) and the Port of IJmuiden (The Netherlands), reducing carbon emissions and advancing greener trade routes.

Key partners, including the Port of Tyne, DFDS, Ricardo, KVSA, and Zeehaven IJmuiden, gathered recently to kick off this ambitious project. Supported by a £9 million UK government investment through the International Green Corridors Fund, the initiative focuses on transitioning from ageing vessels to methanol-fuelled ferries, cutting CO2 emissions and setting a benchmark for sustainable shipping.

The project will assess the infrastructure needed at both ports for future fuels and electrification, as well as analyse the benefits of cleaner shipping practices.

Source: Port of Tyne

Dec 20
2

Construction of New Terminal at Långnäs Port Underway, Completion Expected by 2026

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  • Långnäs Port, a key maritime hub in the Åland Islands, is set to receive a state-of-the-art terminal by 2026, with groundwork now officially underway.
  • The new terminal is specially designed to handle passengers from Finnlines’ new ferries FINNSIRIUS and FINNCANOPUS.
  • Långnäs hamn Ab invites tenders for ground works for the upcoming terminal building: http://www.langnashamn.ax/anbud-41242395
Dec 20
2

FuelEU Maritime: Brussels Confirms Exemptions for Italy

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The European Commission has published Italy’s exemptions under the FuelEU Maritime Regulation (EU 2023/1805), which promotes renewable and low-carbon fuels in maritime transport.

Italy will exempt:

  1. Ports on small islands (see list here).
  2. Ships and routes under public service contracts or obligations, operating between mainland ports before the regulation took effect.

These exemptions are based on information submitted by Italy to the Commission.

Photo: MOBY TOMMY is one of the ferries exempted under the FuelEU Maritime Regulation, operating key routes like Civitavecchia–Olbia and Genova–Porto Torres between October and May, ensuring essential services remain uninterrupted. (photo: Moby)

Dec 20
2

Baleària Continues to Grow on Algeria with New Routes

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Baleària continues to expand its connections to Algeria with a new route, between Valencia and Oran, which started on 18 December.

Baleària now has three weekly departures to Algeria, and soon four.

  • Valencia-Mostaganem (which has been operating since 2016)
  • Valencia-Algiers (which began operating in October 2024)
  • Valencia-Oran
  • Barcelona-Algiers (starting 15 January 2025)

Competition is rising on the Spain to Algeria routes, with the traditional State-owned Algerie Ferries, Baleària, Naviera Armas and newbee Nouris Elbahr Ferries (with the chartered CRACOVIA on Alicante and Marseille).

Dec 20
2

Company Bastø Fosen Changes Name

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Next year, Norwegian ferry company Bastø Fosen will become Torghatten Sør.

  • The Torghatten Group is rebranding the shipping companies within the company. The Torghatten Group consists of the shipping companies Bastø Fosen, Torghatten Midt and Torghatten Nord.
  • Bastø Fosen operates in the Oslofjord between Horten and Moss. The company has been part of the Torghatten family since 1995.
  • Torghatten has approximately 90 vessels and 1,200 employees, operating 50 ferry and high-speed ferry routes in Norway.
Dec 20
2

DFDS Announced its Three Ships for the Jersey Operations

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DFDS, set to become Jersey’s new ferry operator, unveiled the vessels to serve the island:

  • HSC TARIFA JET – Incat 043 – built 1997 – 700 pax and 150 cars
  • HSC LEVANTE JET – Incat 068 – built 2015 – 675 pax and 151 cars
  • RoPax STENA VINGA –built 2005/2010 – 400 pax and 200 cars – 108 beds -1,235/1,538 lane metres

The other Channel Island, Guernsey, will be deserved by Brittany Ferries / Condor Ferries.