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2025 Newsletter week 29

Jul 18
3

Aponte to Re-Sell 49% of MOBY Back to Onorato

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The MSC Group, founded and controlled by Gianluigi Aponte, will sell back its 49% stake in MOBY to Onorato Armatori, the ferry company controlled by Vincenzo Onorato’s family. The move was disclosed by the Italian antitrust authority, following communications from SAS Shipping Agencies Services SARL, GNV (both part of the MSC Group), and MOBY.

This decision aims to pre-empt further action from the Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato, which last year launched an in-depth investigation into possible anti-competitive agreements between GNV and MOBY. The probe focused on four routes between mainland Italy and the islands of Sardinia and Sicily: Civitavecchia–Olbia, Genoa–Olbia, Genoa–Porto Torres, and Naples–Palermo.

MOBY also plans to repay the remaining portion of the €243 million loan it received in December 2023. Part of that loan was already reimbursed through the sale of its tug business in Sardinian ports and the transfer of the ferries SHARDEN and MOBY VINCI to GNV.

Aponte originally acquired the 49% stake in 2023, investing €150 million to rescue the Onorato-controlled company from bankruptcy and a concordato preventivo process at the Court of Milan.

Jul 18
3

InfraRed Capital Partners Acquires Norwegian Ferry and Ambulance Boat Operator GulenSkyss

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  • InfraRed Capital Partners has acquired 100% of Norwegian operator GulenSkyss, which runs ferries and ambulance boats along Norway’s west coast.
  • The deal was completed through a value-add fund managed by InfraRed.
  • GulenSkyss operates 15 vessels (one under construction), including fast boats, car ferries, pilot boats, and ambulance boats on long-term state contracts.
  • Recent wins include the Breistein–Valestrand and Solfjellsjøen–Vandve car ferry routes.
  • The company is poised for growth, backed by demographic trends and the need for reliable transport across Norway’s 100,000 km coastline.
  • This marks InfraRed’s second Nordic investment in 12 months, following its entry into Finnish energy firm Voltan Energy.

Photo: GulenSkyss signed a contract with Fjellstrand AS for the construction of a new and modern electric ferry.

Jul 18
3

RoPax LEFKA ORI Reassigned to Domestic Service

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On 13 July 2025, Attica Group’s RoPax LEFKA ORI was reassigned to domestic ferry service for the summer 2025 season. The vessel will connect the Port of Piraeus with Samos (Vathy), Patmos, Leros, Kos, and Rodos.

She will operate from 13 July to 30 September 2025.

Built in Japan in 1987, LEFKA ORI has a capacity for 1,488 passengers (including 580 beds) and 1,863 lane metres. She sails at 21 knots.

Photo: Kostas Papadopoulos

Jul 18
3

HSC TERA JET 2 Introduced to Domestic Ferry Service

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It is reported that on 15 July 2025, Seajets’ HSC TERA JET 2 (ex-Natchan Rera) will be ready for introduction on the domestic ferry service.

The large catamaran was initially planned to serve the Piraeus – Paros – Naxos – Koufonissia – Irakleia route. However, she also called at the Port of Rafina on 17 July, suggesting she may be deployed on a different route.

She was purchased in March 2024 and built in Australia in 2007. TERA JET 2 has a capacity of 1,500 passengers and 355 cars (450 lane metres). Her service speed is 35 knots, with a maximum speed of 40 knots.

Photo: Seajets

Jul 18
3

GNV’s RoPax LA SUPERBA To Be Scrapped in Turkey

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A public notice from the local Coast Guard in Sicily confirms that the RoPax vessel LA SUPERBA will soon leave Palermo to be dismantled in Turkey. The ship had been declared a constructive total loss following a fire on 14 January 2023 while docked in Palermo.

The insurer Siat has become the legal owner of the vessel after GNV, controlled by the MSC Group, wrote it off. GNV initially intended to return LA SUPERBA to service by summer 2023, but significant fire damage—affecting the forward section, two garage decks, cabins, and public areas—prevented any repair.

Built in 2002 by Nuovi Cantieri Apuania in Italy, LA SUPERBA was, at the time of her debut, the largest passenger ferry in the Mediterranean and one of the largest in the world. The vessel had capacity for 2,920 passengers, 1,000 cars, and 2,800 lane metres of cargo.

Jul 18
3

CLdN Eyes Growth at Teesport Following P&O Exit

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  • With P&O Ferries discontinuing its Zeebrugge–Teesport service, CLdN is actively looking to fill the gap and expand its presence.
  • The company has confirmed its long-term commitment to the Teesport route and is exploring further capacity increases between Zeebrugge and Teesport.
  • A new Rotterdam–Teesport route is also under consideration, subject to market demand.
  • CLdN launched its Zeebrugge–Teesport service in 2023 and already increased capacity earlier this year.
  • A long-term agreement with PD Ports supports a stable and reliable freight connection to Northeast England and Scotland.
  • Teesport offers direct rail links to Scotland and is the UK’s sixth-largest port.
  • CLdN recently added two 8,400 lane metre hybrid RoRo vessels, enhancing its low-emission freight capabilities.
  • With three UK East Coast destinations (Purfleet, Killingholme, Teesport), CLdN offers optimised last-mile logistics and reduced CO₂.
Jul 18
3

Port of Antwerp-Bruges: Container Growth Offsets Bulk Decline in H1 2025

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  • In the first half of 2025, total throughput at Port of Antwerp-Bruges reached 139 million tonnes, down 4.3% year-on-year.
  • Container traffic showed strong recovery: up 8.6% in TEU (6.8 million TEU) and 6% in tonnes, driven by stabilised global trade and improved port fluidity.
  • Conventional breakbulk fell sharply (-17.4%) due to lower steel volumes and ongoing geopolitical instability.
  • Dry bulk saw a significant drop (-18.4%), mostly coal, while liquid bulk fell 4.6%, partly due to reduced LNG imports and declining demand for diesel.
  • RoRo volumes slipped slightly (-2.3%), despite a rise in new car volumes (+6.5%) to 1.7 million units.
  • Container congestion eased thanks to higher terminal productivity and better hinterland connections.
  • CEO Jacques Vandermeiren: “We are cautiously optimistic. The recovery in container traffic is encouraging and shows the resilience of our port.”
Jul 18
3

Brittany Ferries: New Rail Terminal in Cherbourg Connects Spain to UK & Ireland

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On 17 July, the new rail motorway terminal in Cherbourg was inaugurated.

It links Cherbourg to Mouguerre (south-west France), enabling intermodal freight between Spain, Ireland, and the UK.

Cherbourg handled 91,866 trailers in 2024, confirming its role as a key RoRo hub post-Brexit.

The €11.2m terminal, co-financed by local, national, and EU funds, is equipped with LOHR technology for fast trailer transfer.

Brittany Ferries’ rail subsidiary BAI Rail operates the service, aiming for 6 weekly round trips from Sept 2025, with a daily service by 2030.

Jul 18
1

IMAGE CARDS

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On 6 July 2025, Elenger successfully carried out its first truck-to-ship LNG bunkering operation in Poland, fuelling the new dual-fuel RO-PAX NB101 at Remontowa Shiprepair Yard S.A. in Gdansk.

This next-generation ferry, currently undergoing Harbour Acceptance Tests, was supplied with 139 m³ of LNG via Elenger’s fleet of tank trucks. The operation followed stringent safety checks and cryogenic preparations, enabling further engine and boiler testing ahead of sea trials.

Photo Source: PortalMorski.pl