May 24
2

Molo Beverello short sea terminal in Naples awarded to a group of ferry companies

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A pool of ferry companies will manage the Molo Beverello terminal in Naples

A group of ferry companies made up by Caremar, Snav, Navigazione Libera del Golfo e Alilauro has been awarded the management of the renovated Molo Beverello, the short sea terminal for the maritime links to and from the port of Naples.

A purpose-built public tender was lunched by the local port authority few months ago.

The new ferry terminal will be active for the next summer season but some works and services still need to be completed mainly for welcoming passengers and for the automated ticket offices.

May 24
2

Asterion II on the North Aegean – Dodekanese route

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It is reported that Superfast Ferries will reassign RoPax Asterion II on the Piraeus – Samos – Dodecanese and Piraeus – Chios – Mytilene route from June 3 to September 9, 2024.

More specifically, the ship will operate every Sunday afternoon on the Piraeus – Samos (Vathi) – Patmos -Leros – Kos – Symi – Rodos route, while the other days of the week she will serve on the Piraeus – Chios – Mytilene line.

Also, every weekend she will perform two sailings vice versa on the above North Aegean Line.

Asterion II is currently operating on the Piraeus-Heraklion line, replacing Kriti II.

Photo: Dimitris Mendakis

May 24
2

ICS Chairman Emanuele Grimaldi honoured at ESG Shipping Awards

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International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) Chairman and Managing Director of Grimaldi Group, Emanuele Grimaldi, was awarded the Honorary Recognition Award at the ESG Shipping Awards in recognition of his significant contribution to the global maritime industry.

The second annual awards ceremony took place at the Grand Hyatt in Athens on the 20 May.

The ESG Shipping Awards were established to celebrate the efforts and achievements of companies in the shipping industry worldwide that exhibit remarkable commitment to sustainability and responsible business practices. Organised by the Hellenic Chamber of Shipping and the Greek Ministry of Shipping and Island Policy, the Awards aim to foster knowledge sharing and collaboration within the maritime industry while promoting ethical, socially and environmentally conscious decision-making.

Emanuele Grimaldi said: “Prioritising ESG factors just makes good business sense…We are all on a journey and I believe we are heading in the right direction. For our next steps we must remember that ESG is going to be an important part of this journey too. In light of the good work already underway, we should be more vocal about what we are already doing. Our proactivity should not go unnoticed. We need to be louder about the hard work already underway. We do take commitments to environment, social and governance seriously and work is taking place to build on this”.

May 24
2

Gotlandsbolaget Quarterly report January-March 2024

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  • Revenue and Costs: Revenue for Q1 2024 was 384.9 MSEK, up from 362.9 MSEK in Q1 2023. Costs were 419.6 MSEK, a slight decrease from 425.8 MSEK last year.
  • Adjusted Operating Result: The adjusted operating result was -66.7 MSEK, compared to -62.9 MSEK last year, impacted by costs from the new cruise initiative.
  • Significant Events:
    • A bid was submitted for Gotlandstrafiken 2027-2035.
    • The first cruise of M/S Birka Gotland took place in March.
    • A partnership was formed to develop a high-speed catamaran.
  • Future Focus: Emphasis on expanding passenger shipping, real estate, and energy developments.

Source: Gotlandsbolaget (in Swedish)

May 24
2

Port of Antwerp Bruges’ quarterly figures reflect resilience

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The total cargo throughput of Port of Antwerp-Bruges amounted to 70.4 million tonnes in the first quarter of this year, a rise of 2.4% compared to the same period last year. In an ongoing complex geopolitical and macroeconomic context, this performance, driven by a return to growth in container throughput, underscores the port’s resilience.

Roll-on/roll-off traffic decreased by 6.9%.

The ongoing congestion at RoRo terminals resulted in a decrease in throughput of all transport equipment (-9%). This is mainly due to lower throughput of used cars (-52.5%), as well as high & heavy (-25%), trucks (-23.9%) and new cars (-5.5%).

Throughput of unaccompanied cargo (excluding containers) carried on RoRo vessels grew by 1.7%. The decline in throughput to and from the United Kingdom (-4.4%) was offset by an increase in throughput to and from Spain and Portugal (+31.5%), Ireland (+6.4%) and Scandinavia (+13.5%).

Read the full report by clicking on the graph.

May 24
1

IMAGE CARDS

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Last week, the Tasmanian government confirmed that Spirit operator, TT-Line, had agreed in March to pay an additional $81 million to Finnish shipbuilder Rauma Marine Constructions, after cost blowout.

This week, it was confirmed the Finnish government had committed to match this amount — and also to underwrite the future financial viability of RMC.

In return, TT-Line removed a key clause from the contract: RMC would no longer have to pay late fees.

Read the full article on ABC.net.au

Photo: RMC

Peel Ports announced plans to explore the first green shipping corridor between the UK and Ireland through a partnership with NatPower Marine. The proposals involve over £100m investment in charging infrastructure for electric vessels, cars, vans, and HGVs at UK and Ireland ports. The initial routes identified are Belfast-Heysham and Dublin-Birkenhead.

May 17
2

Spirit of Britain from P&O Ferries to Irish Ferries

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Irish Ferries signs a bareboat charter agreement including a purchase obligation with DP World France SAS for the P&O Ferries unit Spirit of Britain.

The RoPax is available for immediate delivery and is expected to enter service with Irish Ferries during June.

The Spirit of Britain will still be used on the Dover – Calais route.  The ship has been acquired for a total consideration of €89.4 million settled through a combination of a two-year bareboat charter set at €20,000 per day and a purchase obligation for €74.8 million at the end of the charter.

The acquisition of the vessel will allow Irish Ferries to move one of the three existing ships on Dover – Calais to replace a chartered vessel (Norbay) currently operating on the Rosslare – Pembroke route.

Source: Irish Ferries

May 17
2

Space charter agreement P&O Ferries – Irish Ferries

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Irish Ferries has signed a space charter agreement with P&O Ferries on the Dover – Calais route. This agreement will encompass both freight and passenger space sharing on both parties’ vessels.

Irish Ferries expects the agreement to come into effect for its freight customers during this Summer. This will then be followed on a phased basis for the passenger business.

P&O Ferries already had a space charter agreement with DFDS on Calais – Dover.

Source: Irish Ferries

May 17
2

Six electric ferries for the DFDS Dunkerque and Calais Channel routes

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At the occasion of President Emmanuel Macron’s ‘Choose France Summit 2024’ in Versailles, DFDS announced (and confirmed) its substantial investment (up to €1 billion) in 6 battery electric vessels for its Channel services by 2035.

The first two electric vessels will be in operation by 2030, while the rest is expected to follow before 2035.

DFDS CEO Torben Carlsen met with French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss electrifying maritime transport on the English Channel.

This will require an intensive collaboration with the authorities and ports in France and the United Kingdom.

May 17
2

Scandlines delivered solid performance in 2023

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Scandlines maintained 2023 revenue and earnings in line with 2022 levels in a challenging market environment. The ferry operator realised a record peak season for leisure, as an increased number of passengers (+5%) used Scandlines’ services (cars +3%).

Whilst freight volumes were down (-7%) from the record levels of 2022, Scandlines maintained its market share.

Scandlines maintained the positive momentum in 2023 with passengers continuing to return to the two ferry routes after years of negative impact from COVID-19 and related travel restrictions. The positive development drove moderate revenue growth of 1 percent to EUR 466 million and a solid result before tax of EUR 122 million.

Revenue from the two Germany-Denmark routes grew to EUR 369 million in 2023 from EUR 363 million in 2022 based on a solid development in total traffic volume.

Management expects revenue and profits to increase moderately in 2024 subject to realising the anticipated level of positive trends in the macro economy during 2024.

Management also expects a positive effect from the deployment of Scandlines’ new electric ferry on the Puttgarden-Rødby route in the second half of 2024.

The full annual report and the sustainability report for Scandlines Infrastructure ApS can be downloaded here.