Can you elaborate on the FRS Iberia Maroc acquisition and your strategy for the Strait of Gibraltar? 

Our goal was to position DFDS in one of Europe’s high-potential freight corridors. We foresee significant growth in freight traffic. Morocco is a stable country, well-positioned to attract manufacturing from industries that are looking to bolster supply chains by moving production closer to end-markets from China and Southeast Asia. This is called “near-shoring” and we see this trend in the automotive, textiles, and food industries. 

We also anticipate growth in the passenger market as Morocco becomes more attractive as a tourist destination. However, our primary focus is on positioning DFDS to capitalise on this potential freight growth. 

Another route you serve in Africa is Tunisia. Is that a smaller market for you?  

At present,Tunisia is primarily a pure RoRo market with no passenger services. We’ve operated this line for many years and we notice slow but regular growth on this market. 

What’s your view on Stena’s acquisition of 49% of AML shares? 

With the acquisition of FRS Iberia Maroc in January, DFDS has a well-established ferry company with operations under both Moroccan and EU flags, and we’re the only operator on all three routes across the Strait of Gibraltar (Tanger Med-Algeciras, Ceuta-Algeciras, Tanger ville-Tarifa). The integration of FRS Iberia Maroc is going very well. We welcome new competition, but it doesn’t change the landscape significantly as Stena becomes a shareholder of AML, replacing Attica. DFDS is prepared to bring more and larger tonnage into the region over the next decade, we have a long-term vision for the Strait of Gibraltar.  

The Mediterranean has been very successful for DFDS, particularly with Turkey as a base. You now operate 20 RoRo ships between Turkey and Europe, following the acquisition of EKOL. Could you elaborate on the strategic importance of this acquisition? 

DFDS is replicating the successful model we’ve established in Northern Europe, particularly around the North Sea, where we’ve integrated road and sea transport. This is the backbone of our acquisition of EKOL. 

In the North Sea, we connect countries like Germany, Denmark, and the Netherlands with the UK via our unaccompanied hubs in Immingham and Felixstowe. With EKOL, we can offer end-to-end services from inland Turkey all the way to inland Germany, the Benelux, France, or Spain, rather than just port-to-port services. 

By integrating EKOL into DFDS, we’re serving the same type of customer profile across our group, positioning ourselves uniquely to support Turkey’s significant manufacturing capabilities. We expect continued growth and have an even stronger market position with the acquisition of EKOL. 

We operate from Mersin, Pendik, and Yalova, covering a large part of the region. We’ve experimented with Izmir and might return there. We also have projects in Egypt. In this part of the Eastern Mediterranean, we’re exploring all opportunities, particularly those related to near-shoring in freight. 

When DFDS took over UN RoRo, we had ten ships. We now have 20, and the vessels are significantly larger. We’ve capitalised on growth and expect even more in the coming years. EKOL gives us substantial capacity on the logistics side to achieve this growth—it’s a game changer. 

In the Baltic Sea, DFDS does not currently serve Poland. Could this change in the future? 

While we don’t have a ferry route in Poland, we’re present in the country through our logistics activities and a shared service centre. We’ve also recently launched a new train service from Łódź to Vlaardingen, which is a new development aimed at capturing a share of the Polish market, particularly through new intermodal solutions. 

We’re convinced that there will be growth between Poland and Scandinavia, and we’re are always looking for opportunities to develop our business to service our customers holisticly . This is high on our priority list. The near-shoring trends we see in Morocco and Turkey also partially apply to Poland. At present, the Baltic Sea market remains affected by the war and the weak Swedish economy. 

Can you provide more details about the new ships for the Calais-Dover route? Will they be double-ender or hybrid, or fully electric? 

 We’ve already announced that the new ships will be electric, though this is easier said than done. Adequate charging infrastructure needs to be in place on both sides, with sufficient dedicated power—around 30-40 MW. Two of the six vessels in the project by 2030 will be committed to the Channel, subject to the availability of charging infrastructure. We’re working closely with the ports of Dover, Calais, and Dunkirk, as we ultimately aim to have three vessels on Calais and three on Dunkirk. 

 The design of these vessels is still in progress. Meanwhile, technology is advancing, batteries are improving, and costs are decreasing. Efficiency will be the key criterion for any of the new vessels. 

What is your strategy for reducing emissions? 

We’re committed to reducing our CO2 emission intensity by 45% by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. 

How do we plan to achieve this? Firstly, by reducing the speed of our vessels on existing routes. We have a programme called “Every Minute Counts,” where all stakeholders collaborate to improve the turnaround time of vessels. Last year, we ran tests and saw savings of 5 to 15% in bunker fuel and CO2 emissions. With the ETS (Emissions Trading System) kicking in, this is becoming increasingly important. 

We’re also gaining productivity through digital applications in terminals. Small changes add up—for instance we have launched a new system in some of our locations that enables faster loading and discharge operations, and more efficient yard management.  

Secondly, by retrofitting our vessels with new technologies such as improved bulbs, propellers, silicone paint and antifouling, sensors, etc DFDS is significantly investing to make its existing fleet more efficient and reduce CO2 emissions. 

 With these measures, we believe we will reach the 45% reduction target by 2030, and the new ships in the next decade will further contribute. We have a clear roadmap. 

Is it possible to build new ships anywhere other than China? 

 Absolutely. As a general remark, it’s important to consider the total cost of a new build, not just the contract price, but the cost over the entire lifecycle of the vessel. We’re in discussions with shipyards in both Asia and Europe, not just China. 

How is the Dunkerque-Rosslare route performing? 

This route is doing very well. We’ve retrofitted the Optima Seaways to provide better accommodation for truck drivers, including pods. The feedback has been very positive. 

How is the concession route Dieppe-Newhaven performing? 

This is an important route for both Normandy and the Newhaven regions. As you know, it’s a concession route, and we won the concession again last year for another five years. I think we need now to start discussing potential fleet renewal plans for the next period.  

Speaking of the Channel, is duty-free contributing significantly? 

 It’s indeed a growing part of our revenues, also thanks to significant investments made by DFDS to enhance duty free facilities. 

In DFDS’ latest Q2 report, the World economy impacts the results. Which evolution do you see for the rest of the year, and beyond? 

We had expected a better economic situation, particularly in the UK, but also in Germany and Scandinavia. This has impacted both our logistics and ferry operations. However, as with other markets, we remain confident that the EU and UK economies will bounce back at some point. Last year, Turkyie introduced new economic policies under a new Minister of Economy, who has worked to control inflation, which has slowed down export growth in the short term.. 

 Freight has been impacted by market headwinds, as reflected in our Q2 results. However, with our extensive fleet and diversified markets, we can offset declines in one area with growth in others. We have seen a 9% increase in our freight volumes, and our revenue continues to grow organically with existing customers. We also have exciting projects in the pipeline, such as the tenders in Tarifa-Tanger ville and for the Channel Islands. While our topline is growing, our costs are also rising due to inflation and other factors. 

 We shall then continue to capitalise on organic growth while managing costs effectively in the coming months.