Port of Hirtshals has entered into a partnership with the energy company E.ON, one of Denmark’s largest suppliers of green power for electric cars, which means that a number of different types of charging stations are set up at the port.
Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL) has announced ISLE OF ISLAY and LOCH INDAAL as the names for the two new ferries to serve Islay and Jura following a public vote.
Delivery expected towards the end of 2024 for vessel one, and early 2025 for vessel two.
The two new ferries will have a clear focus on freight, as well as sufficient passenger accommodation: 450 passengers and 100 cars, or 14 commercial vehicles. This will provide a combined 40% increase in vehicle and freight capacity on the Islay routes and will improve the overall resilience of the wider fleet.
The Islay ferries form part of a programme of investment by CMAL, funded through Scottish Government commitments to capital investment of around £700 million in ferry infrastructure and related services over the five years from 2021 to 2026.
Wider plans will deliver other new small and major vessels for the fleet and upgrades of harbour infrastructure with future options being considered through the emerging Islands Connectivity Plan.
To continue with the delivery of vessel 802 by the Scottish Ferguson Marine Port Glasgow Limited (FMPG) shipyard, the Director General Economy requested Written Authority from the Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy on 13 May 2023.
In other words, he asked if yes or no severely delayed vessel 802 should be finished.
Answer from Neil Gray (Member of Scottish Parliament / Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy)
“Delivery of Vessel 802 is in the clear interest of our island communities that the vessel will serve and the community of Inverclyde. It is also in our national economic interest to preserve, enhance and develop our shipbuilding industry.”
Tallink Grupp is the first Estonian company to join international technology giant ABB’s global sustainability movement, Energy Efficiency Movement, the aim of which is to enhance environmental protection through increased energy efficiency and emissions reduction projects and activities.
Read more here.
Photo (left to right): Jukka Patrikainen, ABB and Captain Tarvi-Carlos Tuulik, Tallink Grupp
CADENA 3 will be used by GNV on the Sicily route, to shift cargo from the RoPax ships to this RoRo during the busy summer months.
In Greece, Ekathimerini.com wrote that “the exchange agreement between Marfin Investment Group (MIG) and Strix Holdings was signed on Friday 12 May, whereby the former gives the latter Attica Group shares corresponding to 79.4% of the shipping company’s share capital, against loans of 443.8 million euros of MIG held by Strix.
In Spain, Trasmed Grimaldi and Insotel Marine Group create the Ferry Alliance.
The objective of both companies is “to enrich the global travel proposal for the Balearic market.”
Insotel Marine Group (part of Insotel Hotel Group) has ferry operators Trasmapi, Menorca Lines, Formentera Lines and Formentera Cargo in its portfolio. They operate between Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera.
The Ferry Alliance connects the Trasmed routes from the Iberic Peninsular with the island routes. [economiademallorca.com]
In Mexico, Baja Ferries received its largest ship, the CALIFORNIA STAR, which docked at the Pichilingue port in La Paz. [t21.com.mx]
This former RoRo is now a RoPax after spending nine months at the Viktor Lenac Shipyard in Croatia.
New capacities: 2,850 lane metres | 400 passengers | 37 cabins | 2 seating areas | 2 restaurants.
CALIFORNIA STAR is the former HUMBER VIKING, EUROCARGO SICILIA.
Financial information for the first four months of 2023
- Consolidated Group revenue +1.4% / €163.4 million
- Ferries Division +8.7% / €106.9 million (2022: €98.3 million)
- Container and Terminal Division -2.9% / €69.6 million (2022: €71.7 million)
Recent Developments
- On 5 May 2023, the Group took delivery of OSCAR WILDE (ex Tallink STAR) from Tallink Grupp. Long-term bareboat charter 20 months, charter option 2 + 2 years, purchase option.
Winston Framework
ICG expects 2023 will see a continuation of the trend of freight customers returning to the landbridge and we are hopeful that the Windsor Framework will remove the distortion from the non-implementation of the Northern Ireland Protocol.
ICG welcomes recent calls for the establishment of Green Lanes on ferry routes between the UK and the Republic of Ireland, for traffic destined for Northern Ireland. ICG believes that the arrangements proposed for Northern Ireland – Great Britain trade can be equally applied to allow trade to route via the Republic of Ireland. If a trader can be trusted to enter Northern Ireland and not enter the Republic of Ireland, then it would appear logical that the trader can be equally trusted to enter via the Republic of Ireland and go directly to Northern Ireland. This would allow Northern Ireland goods to travel via the shortest, most efficient, and environmentally friendly route. ICG has written to both the Irish Government and the European Union to urge them to consider the introduction of this proposal.
May 2023
DFDS Q1 2023: ahead of expectations
- Revenue up 9% to DKK 6.3bn driven by the continued recovery in passenger numbers and spending, price increases for freight services to cover rising energy and other costs, and a positive impact from acquisitions.
- EBITDA up 23% to DKK 1.0bn.
- EBITDA for the freight ferry activities increased 4% to DKK 717m.
- EBITDA for the Logistics Division increased 38% to DKK 299m.
- EBITDA for passenger activities across the route network increased DKK 100m to DKK 9m which was on level with Q1 2019, the latest pre-Covid-19 year.
- Freight volumes between the UK and Continent/Scandinavia declined in Q1, especially on the English Channel, while domestic transport volumes, also in the UK, were more robust. The war in Ukraine lowered freight volumes in the Baltic region compared to 2022.
- For the last twelve months (LTM) 2023-22, EBITDA increased 4% to DKK 5,160m.
- The outlook for EBITDA of DKK 4.5-5.0bn is unchanged. Revenue is overall still expected to remain at the same level as 2022. The investment outlook of around DKK 1.6bn is also unchanged, excluding acquisitions.
Read the Q1 2023 interim report here
Ferry – freight:
- Total volumes in April 2023 were 18.7% below 2022.
- Volumes were 7.7% below 2022 adjusted for Channel that is impacted by a general market decrease and overcapacity.
- North Sea volumes were below last year due to lower volumes between mainly the Netherlands and the UK following a continued drop in Continental vegetable and fruit export to the UK.
- Mediterranean volumes were just below last year adjusted for route changes due to congestion in the port of Mersin following the earthquake in February 2023 and some slowdown in activity ahead of the upcoming election.
- Channel volumes were significantly below last year due to a continued market decrease, suspension of sailings by P&O Ferries throughout April 2022, and a negative impact from the entry of a third ferry operator, Irish Ferries.
- Baltic Sea volumes remained negatively impacted by the war in Ukraine.
- For the last twelve months 2023-22, the total transported freight lane metres decreased 8.0% to 40.1m from 43.6m in 2022-21. The decrease was 3.5% adjusted for Channel.
Ferry – passenger:
- The number of passengers continued to recover and increased 22.3% to 406k equal to 84% of volumes in April 2019, the latest comparable month pre-Covid-19.
- The number of cars equalled 79% of volumes in 2019.
- For the last twelve months 2023-22, the total number of passengers was 4.2m compared to 1.4m in 2022-21 and 5.1m in 2019.
