Aug 25
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P&O Ferries will stop Liverpool-Dublin route

By | 2023 Newsletter week 34 | No Comments

P&O Ferries announced in a message that the Liverpool-Dublin route will be axed.

The company says that, earlier this year, the owner of our Liverpool site, Peel Ports, informed P&O that its current berth would no longer be available after the end of 2023.

P&O says it has been looking for solutions, but “no suitable alternative has been offered or found that would enable to maintain the current service into 2024.”

The company is now “beginning a consultation process with the employees affected by the intended closure of this service.”

NORBAY and NORBANK, which currently serve the Liverpool-Dublin route with 24 sailings per week, will be redeployed elsewhere on the P&O Ferries route network in the coming months.

Photo: Wikimedia 2013harry

Aug 25
0

Incat Tasmania to deliver the World’s largest Battery Electric Ship

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Incat Tasmania has under construction the largest lightweight battery electric ship so far constructed in the world for delivery to Buquebus.

This ship, the world’s largest battery-electric Ro-Pax ferry, will be 100% battery electric.  The energy storage system (ESS) battery storage at over 40MWh will be four times larger than any battery installation that has been constructed and installed anywhere in the world for the marine transport environment.

The batteries power a series of E-motors which drive the water jet propulsion system.

The electrical system integration is by Wärtsilä and ESS by Corvus Energy.

Incat 096 will have a capacity for 2,100 passengers and crew, 225 cars and will also include a Duty-Free Shop of over 2000 square metres.

Aug 25
0

Increased passenger traffic in August and July at the major Greek ports

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According to the Hellenic Ministry of Shipping and Island Policy’s data, from July 1 to August 15, 2023, there was an increase in passenger traffic by 6.58%.

More specifically, a total of 3,140,906 passengers were transported from the country’s three major ports (Piraeus, Rafina, Lavrion), compared to 2,946,747 passengers, during the same period 2022.

Also, during the period of August 1 to August 15 the passenger traffic increased by 4,37% (1,118,445 pax) compared to the same period of 2022 (1,071,516 pax).

Aug 25
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Grimaldi: Two new state-of-the-art ro-ro ships on the Venice – Bari – Patras line

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With the new state-of-the-art ro-ro ships, ECO CATANIA and ECO MALTA, the Italian Grimaldi Group launched zero-emission-in-port vessels in Patras, Venice and Bari at the end of June 2023.

Each of the two ‘GG5G’ class ships can carry around 500 trailers and 180 cars (7,800 lane meters), which is twice as much as their predecessors.

Photo: Grimaldi Group

Aug 25
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FINNSIRIUS made two calls in Southern Italy and Northern Europe before reaching Naantali

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FINNSIRIUS, just delivered to Finnlines by China Merchants Jinling shipyard, called at the port of Gioia Tauro before reaching the port of Naantali to start the regular line with Långnäs and Kapellskär from mid- September.

In Southern Italy, the Superstar-class new vessel discharged new cars loaded in China and embarked new vans to be delivered in Northern Europe.

The Grimaldi-controlled ferry company stated that FINNSIRIUS’ maiden voyage from Naantali to Kapellskär will take place on Friday 15 September 2023. The first passengers will then get to travel on the new ship and enjoy special programmes: music entertainment, a guided tour around the ship, extra offers in the restaurants and in the tax-free shop. Tickets for the maiden voyage are now available via Finnlines’ website.

FINNSIRIUS departures from Naantali will be scheduled in the mornings at 11:45 on Monday–Wednesday, and at 10:30 on Thursday–Sunday. The ship arrives in Kapellskär after rush hours and the drive to Stockholm takes only one hour.

FINNSIRIUS will depart from Kapellskär in the evening.

Aug 25
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The Swedish Competition Authority approves cooperation between Gotlandsbolaget and Viking Line

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Viking Line and Gotlandsbolaget announced on 9 August 2023 that they are forming a joint company with the task of developing and offering cruises with BIRKA STOCKHOLM between Stockholm-Mariehamn and Stockholm-Mariehamn-Visby.

The completion of this business transaction and the start-up of the new joint venture are contingent on the approval of the Swedish Competition Authority. The Swedish Competition Authority has (on August 23, 2023) announced that they are deciding to leave the concentration without action, which means that the deal is proceeding according to plan.

Aug 25
0

Ferry companies needed for the short sea links to Sicilians islands

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Following a legal dispute involving some ships and consequently some lines operated by Siremar – Caronte & Tourist Isole Minori Spa, the Sicilian Region said publicly that it will look for other ferry operators to cover some subsidized maritime links with the small islands surrounding Sicily.

In order to guarantee the maritime continuity and due to some public tenders which remained not assigned, the local government of the island decided to proceed with a direct call to the Italian ferry players in order to find new maritime transport providers for passengers, cars and ro-ro cargo.

Earlier this summer Italys’ financial police (Guardia di Finanza) seized nine ferries serving the Aeolian Islands and Ustica from the shipping company Caronte & Tourist since they would not be compliant for passengers with reduced mode according to the prosecutors.

Aug 18
0

DFDS: Q2 performance better than expected

By | 2023 Newsletter week 33 | No Comments

Read the Q2 2023 interim click on cover

“We have raised our outlook as we continued to deliver strong operational performance in Q2, and despite headwind in some regions, we achieved a result that was better than expected.”

Torben Carlsen, CEO DFDS

  • Q2 revenue decreased 3.2% to DKK 6.9bn but increased 2.5% adjusted for bunker surcharges, driven by higher passenger and logistics revenue.
  • Freight ferry revenue was below last year as lower volumes were partly offset by higher rates.
  • Q2 EBITDA decreased 5% to DKK 1,404m.
  • The freight ferry EBITDA of DKK 754m was 20% lower than last year as Q2 2022 earnings were boosted by elevated Channel earnings and exceptionally high levels of oil price spreads, that have now normalised. Moreover, Q2 2023 volumes were lower than last year.
  • The Q2 passenger EBITDA increased 28% to DKK 350m as results were improved across the route network.
  • Logistics Division’s EBITDA increased 26% to DKK 345m driven by acquisitions.

For the first half-year (H1), revenue increased 2% to DKK 13.3bn compared to the same period last year and H1 EBITDA increased 5% to DKK 2,413m. EBITDA was DKK 5,090m for the last twelve months (LTM, 2022-23).

 Outlook 2023
The EBITDA outlook is raised to DKK 4.8-5.2bn (previously DKK 4.5-5.0bn) following better than expected H1 financial performance. Revenue is overall still expected to remain at the same level as 2022.

The outlook is detailed on page 9 in the full report.

Aug 18
0

DFDS July volumes: freight closing in on last year, passengers up 9%

By | 2023 Newsletter week 33 | No Comments

Ferry – freight

  • Total volumes in July 2023 were 7.2% below 2022. Volumes were 4.9% below 2022 adjusted for Channel.
  • North Sea volumes were robust on most routes but a slowdown in Swedish imports and a dip in fresh produce volumes to the UK due to weather conditions reduced overall volumes compared to 2022.
  • Mediterranean’s volumes were below last year as growth is being reduced by measures to curb inflation in Türkiye and European demand is stagnating.
  • Channel volumes were below 2022 which reflects the redistribution of market shares that took place in July 2022 in the wake of a ferry competitor’s suspension of sailings in 2022.
  • Baltic Sea market conditions are starting to become more comparable to 2022 as the war’s impact on volumes did not fully materialise in 2022 until after the summer. July volumes were still below last year.
  • For the last twelve months 2023-22, the total transported freight lane metres decreased 11.0% to 38.8m from 43.6m in 2022-21. The decrease was 4.3% adjusted for Channel.

Ferry – passenger

  • The number of passengers increased 9.3% driven by more passengers on the Channel and Baltic routes. The number of cars were up 3.8% due to primarily more cars on the Channel.
  • For the last twelve months 2023-22, the total number of passengers was 4.4m compared to 2.5m in 2022-21.