Scandlines will have a new Executive Management Team.
- CEO: Eric Gregoire (July 2024)
- CFO: Mikael Koch Jensen (May 2024)
- Michael Guldmann Petersen will continue as COO
ORTC (Corsica Transport Office) published the monthly traffic statistics.
| January | February | March | |
| Passengers Air | 158,010 (+7.4%) | 144,841 (+2.1%) | 173,123 (+9.6%) |
| Passengers Ferry | 86,610 (+4.4%) | 75,316 (-13.1%) | 107,809 (+23.1%) |
| Passenger Cars | 36,251 (+0.7%) | 32,310 (-10.7%) | 45,670 (+13.9%) |
| Freight (tons) | 147,392 (+4.8%) | 162,615 (+26.2%) | 161,402 (+0.1%) |
The monthly reports can be downloaded here (in French)
Photo: Mega Regina – © Jean-Pierre Fabre
New figures reveal the flagship Manxman is driving an increase in passengers travelling by ferry. Almost 70,000 passengers travelled in Q1, in comparison to almost 57,000 passengers that travelled over the same period last year.
That’s an increase of 21%, partially helped by Easter falling earlier in the year, but also driven by increased use of the Heysham route and the high-quality facilities and level of comfort provided by Manxman.
The transportation of essential freight to the island in Q1 also saw a 7% increase, with almost 104,000 meters of freight being carried versus over 96,000 last year.
As of 1 May 2024, Dennis Tetzlaff is Stena Line’s new Chief Operating Officer Fleet and part of the group management team.
Dennis Tetzlaff enters his new role with a wealth of experience, having worked in various professions within the shipping and cruise industry over the past two decades. Most recently, he comes from TUI Cruises, where he served as the Vice President Fleet Operations & Newbuild.
More info here.
The French Biodiversity Office, in partnership with ADEME and CORSICA Linea, is launching the call for projects “Crossings of Biodiversity and Climate”. The deadline for applications is set for June 16, 2024.
Intended for environmental protection associations in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur and Corsica, the call for projects “Crossings of Biodiversity and Climate” aims to support animation projects that promote citizen engagement in ecological transition during crossings between Corsica and the mainland.
These animations should:
- raise awareness among various audiences (passengers, crew, carriers)
- help understand the impacts of human activities on biodiversity and the challenges related to ecological transition
- encourage citizens to take action to support transformative changes
The winning associations of the call for projects will carry out animations aboard RoPax A Galeotta during 44 crossings in September 2024, October 2024, May 2025, June 2025, July 2025, and August 2025. Four animation sessions for both crews of the ship will take place dockside in 2025.
More official information here (in French)
Fratelli Onorato Armatori, a company originally controlled by Achille and Alessandro Onorato but now part of the Moby Group, informed FERRY SHIPPING NEWS that the RoRo Maria Grazia Onorato has been arrested by Siem in the port of Sète.
Siem is the owner of the ship, which was built and delivered in 2017 by the Flensburger Schiffbau shipyard and bareboat chartered out to Fratelli Onorato Armatori for 12 years with a purchase option. Today, the vessel, along with its sister ship Alf Pollak, is being operated in sub-charter by DFDS on regular lines linking Turkey with Greece, Italy, and France.
Siem arrested the Maria Grazia Onorato after winning an arbitration aimed at obtaining the redelivery of both ships, as the bareboat charter contract signed in 2017 contained a clause specifically referring to the possibility for the Onorato family to decrease its share in the company under certain conditions. When the MSC group rescued Moby (into which Fratelli Onorato Armatori was incorporated) by taking a 49% stake and approving the financial restructuring plan, Siem requested the redelivery of the RoRo ships and then launched legal action.
The Onorato-controlled company specified that all charter rates have been paid from the very beginning and that legal actions will be launched against Siem in Italy and abroad, also seeking refunds for any damages incurred.
Moby’s lines operated in Italy and in the Mediterranean will not be affected by the arrest of the Maria Grazia Onorato.
DFDS have used their option and extended the contracts for Lysvik and Lysbris with two more years, until 31 December 2026 (with options until end 2030).
During 2023-2024 Godby has made considerable environmental and energy efficiency investments in Lysvik and Lysbris: new propeller blades, a new engine control system, ballast water treatment systems and a shore power connection. Additionally, the underwater areas have been blasted down to bare steel and coated with ultra-low friction paint.
Fast ferry Max has been sold to unknown buyers, for use in the med.
The reason for the sale must be found in Danish and European CO2 taxes, and increasing labour costs.
Max is now in the harbor in Ebeltoft, where it is kept ready for deployment on the Kattegat in case of technical challenges on one of the other ferries.
Max will be taken over by the new owners at the end of 2024.
Source: Molslinjen
RoPax Superfast III (formerly Olympic Champion) is anticipated to resume her Adriatic service by the end of May. The ferry has been undergoing extensive internal and mechanical refurbishment since December 2023 at Perama Repair Zone. Additionally, she has adopted a new Superfast livery following the successful merger agreement between Anek Lines and Attica Group. The vessel will operate on the Patras – Igoumenitsa-Ancona route alongside her fleet mates, Superfast IX and Hellenic Spirit (which will undergo a similar refit later).
Photo: Kostas Papadopoulos
The flagship of Anek Lines, El. Venizelos, has resumed service on the traditional Piraeus – Chania (Crete) route as of May 1, 2024, following a series of repairs and enhancements. Alongside Elyros, she will navigate this route, while Kissamos, her fleet mate, will join Kriti II on the Piraeus-Heraklion route.
Photo: Kostas Papadopoulos
In 2023, Stena Line’s diversified business model once again proved resilient in a disruptive global world. Financial performance was strong and liquidity developed positively. The Stena Group is more stable than ever before. Excluding the profit from a ship sale, Stena AB still delivered by and large the same profit in 2023 as in 2022.
Stena Line
- Share of the Groups total income: 34%
- Total Income: MSEK 18,900 (17,500)
- In 2023, the European market was characterised by considerable turbulence due to high inflation, recession and war in the nearby region. These complex market conditions had significant impact on Stena Line’s cost structure. Despite these challenges, Stena Line managed to deliver a result that exceeded expectations.
- In 2023, Stena Line made investments in ports to further strengthen its role as a leading player in European infrastructure. The company is the leading ferry operator in the Irish Sea. In this expansion area, Stena Line signed long-term agreements to operate the ports of Heysham and Birkenhead in the UK until the year 2100. The company also signed an agreement for the construction of a new port in Immingham.
- Stena Line saw increased employee satisfaction and participation in surveys, emphasizing the importance of diverse representation and fostering an inclusive workplace culture.
Stena RoRo
- Share of the Groups total income: 2%
- Total Income: MSEK 1,100 (6,500)
- Stena RoRo’s result was supported by the last decade’s long-term investments in the development of the E-flexer hybrid vessels, which have set a completely new sustainability standard in the RoPax segment. The strategic investment in these vessels makes Stena RoRo well-positioned in terms of meeting the new environmental requirements for shipping from the EU and IMO. This is already a strong competetive factor which is expected to increase in importance in the future.
- Stena RoRo has so far ordered 13 Stena E-Flexer hybrid vessels. Nine of these have been delivered and two more will be delivered in 2024.
- During 2023, Stena RoRo received orders from Stena Line for two new freight ships, known as New Max.
- Stena RoRo sees a great potential for old vessels to be deployed for a new function, as accommodation vessel.
Stena Sphere
The Stena Sphere consists of the three parent companies, Stena AB, Stena Metall AB and Stena Sessan AB. A total of 22,000 people are employed in the Stena Sphere. Total income for 2023 was SEK 96 billion. Profit before tax amounted to SEK 4.3 billion.
Click on cover to access the annual report
DFDS has asked Incat to conduct a design study for a hybrid-electric ferry intended to be deployed for the Channel Islands, if DFDS wins an upcoming tender for the future ferry services on the Islands.
The 72-metre ferry, which will have the option to convert to fully electric, is suited to a number of ferry routes across Europe, says Incat (press release Incat).
The design study will analyse various specifications incl. capacity, propulsion, layout of passenger areas, etc. In terms of propulsion, DFDS expect to focus on a hybrid solution until sufficient charging infrastructure is available in the relevant ports.
“We know that battery electric or electric-hybrid propulsion coupled with lightweight aluminium on shorter sea routes will be the ideal choice to cut emissions, and it’s great to see major operators such as DFDS sharing in our goal to shape the future of decarbonisation in maritime transport.”
Incat CEO Stephen Casey
“The hybrid electric ferry will be part of our vision for the future ferry solution for the Channel Islands. Electrification of short sea routes is the future, and with the design study we can fast-track the green transition ushering in a new era of low-emission maritime transport. This will not be easy. We need to ensure a sufficient power supply on land and infrastructure to accommodate recharging facilities in ports. But I am confident that we can work together with the ports, governments, and communities on the Channel Islands to make this happen.”
Torben Carlsen, CEO of DFDS
About the tender for ferry services to the Channel Islands:
- The tender has not been launched yet, although it was expected in April.
- In January the governments of Guernsey and Jersey announced they were looking for expressions of interest for ferry companies to run services to the islands.
- Current operator is Condor Ferries(see route map). It has an agreement with Jersey and memorandum of understanding with Guernsey to provide services until 2025.
- Condor Ferries has Brittany Ferries as shareholder, and Brittany Ferries CEO Christophe Mathieu is interim CEO for Condor Ferries too.
- Last year DFDS RoRo Finlandia did berthing trials in St Peter Port and St Helier.
- This month, Brittany Ferries’ RoPax Barfleur did similar trials.
- People at a small public meeting organised by DFDS said they wanted a reliable ferry service to the UK on a conventional ferry, and that Saint-Malo is the preferred port on the French side. (source: BBC)
It is reported that A-Ship Management’s RoPax Galaxy will serve on the Brindisi – Valona line as from May 1, 2024.
The ship (1979) was chartered to Caronte & Tourist from March 2023 to December 2023 and served on the Porto Embedocle – Lampedusa route, replacing successively the Italian company’s ferries during their annual refit.
Galaxy underwent her annual maintenance refit at Perama Repair Zone from February to April 2024. She is currently at the Port of Brindisi.
Photo: Kostas Papadopoulos
