Apr 14
Love0

Greece – Cyprus line booking system opened on April 11

By 2023 Newsletter week 15
  • The 2023 booking system for the Greece – Cyprus ferry line was opened on April 11.
  • DALEELA will again be the ship that will serve the line but she will offer upgraded services.
  • First departure May 31 from Limassol
  • Last sailing from Piraeus to Larnaca September 1.
  • 22 round trips (8 between May – June, 7 in July and 7 between August and September).
  • 14 departures from the port of Limassol and 8 from the port of Larnaca, starting from July.
  • Last year’s traffic performance was 7,412 passengers and 2,250 vehicles.
Apr 14
Love0

Corsica Ferries testing biofuels with Total Energies

By 2023 Newsletter week 15

TotalEnergies group announced that it has implemented the first biofuel bunkering operation in the Mediterranean from a French port.

The operation was carried out in low-profile mode in the past weeks and the ship involved has been the ro-pax ferry MEGA EXPRESS TWO owned by Corsica Ferries.

Some 100 tons of this product, which is made up of diesel and 30% biomolecules, in this case second-generation fatty acid methyl ester, produced from certified sustainable used cooking oil was provided to the ferry with a truck-to-ship bunkering operation.

Although this is still a trial, this solution should be developed by TotalEnergies Marine Fuels for shipping companies as it allows them to keep existing ships, while limiting greenhouse gas emissions by around 20% according to the company’s estimates.

Initial trials were carried out in Singapore in 2022 and the subsidiary signed a bunkering contract with Hapag Lloyd at the beginning of the year.

Apr 14
Love0

CRUISE SMERALDA transferred to Finnlines

By 2023 Newsletter week 15

Ro-pax CRUISE SMERALDA, owned by Grimaldi Group, has just been just chartered out by Grimaldi Euromed to sister company Finnlines.

From the Italian port of Gioia Tauro, and after a stop in Antwerp, the 1997-built CRUISE SMERALDA arrived this week in Vlissingen, the Netherlands, before continuing to Malmö, Sweden.

CRUISE SMERALDA has a max capacity of 1,528 passengers and 819 cars (or 90 cars plus 125 trucks/trailers) and in the recent past had been operating on the motorways of the seas in the West Mediterranean and to/from the North Africa.

The ferry will replace other ferries on the Malmö-Travemünde link during their refurbishments.

“As early as this summer, there will be a new line between Sweden and Poland,” said Tom Pippingsköld in Swedish newspaper “Dagens Industri”. To be followed…

Apr 14
Love0

Molslinjen has been nominated for the Working Environment Award 2023

By 2023 Newsletter week 15

A significant reduction in the amount of exhaust particles when loading and unloading diesel vehicles has resulted in a better working environment on board ropax HAMMERSHUS, where employees no longer have to worry about the amount of particle pollution in everyday life.

Captain of Bornholmslinjen’s HAMMERSHUS Jacob Schødt Larsen was made aware of a problem with particle pollution on the vehicle deck. He acted decisively, and this meant that the cause of the contamination was quickly identified and reduced.

The captain and his colleagues are now being rewarded for this effort, by being nominated for the Working Environment Award 2023.

The specific action plan included a thorough review of the ventilation system and the corresponding update of operation and maintenance, as well as a new procedure for handling refrigerated trailers that must be connected to power on board.

Finally, subcontractors were required to ensure that the terminal tractors that load and unload trailers are equipped with particle filters.

Apr 14
Love0

Holland Norway Lines confirms the changing departure port(s

By 2023 Newsletter week 15

As written earlier, Holland Norway Lines is moving its sailings from the Dutch port of Eemshaven to a new location.

From the 1st June, Emden will be the new permanent port of departure. Emden is located just across the Netherlands/German border.

From April 20 (later than expected) to May 31st, Cuxhaven is HNL’s temporary departure port. Cuxhaven is located in Northern Germany.

The switch from Eemshaven to the other ports does not affect the sailing time (18 hours), but does make the car journey longer for passengers coming from the Netherlands.

Apr 06
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Gotlandsbolaget & Austal: important step in climate journey

By 2023 Newsletter week 14

Swedish Gotlandsbolaget and Australian shipyard Austal have signed a letter of intent to design Gotlandsbolaget’s new catamaran, “Gotland Horizon X”.

  • multi-fuel / fossil-free (such as hydrogen)
  • 35 knots | 1,650 passengers | 450 passenger cars
  • energy-efficient hull, minimal weight, optimal energy management, streamlined operations and flows throughout the vessel
  • to be used mainly during the summer months
  • crossing time between the island of Gotland and the Swedish mainland in under 3 hours
Apr 06
Love0

Tallink Grupp publishes 2023 March and Q1 statistics

By 2023 Newsletter week 14
  • Increase in passenger numbers, but a decrease in carried cargo units.
  • Passenger numbers increased the most on the Tallinn-Stockholm route by 77% compared to Q1 2022 when BALTIC QUEEN operations were temporarily suspended due to travel restrictions, and on the Tallinn-Helsinki route by nearly 47% with greater route capacity this year with three shuttles operating on the route during the quarter.
  • The number of cargo units transported decreased compared to last year due to several of the company’s vessels being chartered out.
  • The most significant reduction in carried cargo units is evident on the Finland-Sweden routes and is the result of the chartering out of the company’s Turku-Stockholm route vessel GALAXY and the technical dockings of the company’s Finland-Sweden routes’ vessels SILJA SERENADE, SILJA SYMPHONY and BALTIC PRINCESS all during Q1 2023.
Apr 06
Love0

Tallink Grupp Audited Annual Report of the 2022 Financial Year

By 2023 Newsletter week 14

Tallink published its annual report, audited.

Ferry Shipping News presented the unaudited version on 24 February 2023. [link]

Outlook

  • Rebuild and recovery of core routes between Estonia, Finland and Sweden, and ensuring an optimal growth of these core routes in the future.
  • Pay close attention to the passenger numbers and occupancy levels of the ships in regular traffic. Changes in operations if there is a clear need to do so.
  • Monitor the need for short- and long-term vessel chartering and, if the timing and opportunity are right, carry on with the successful chartering projects, which have helped Tallink to keep its nose above water during the COVID-19 years and thereafter.
  • Stronger focus than ever before on sustainability. New environmental regulations and directives, such as the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and amendments to the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) taking effect in the very near future.
Apr 06
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Guernsey and Condor reach agreement on deal to buy additional conventional ferry

By 2023 Newsletter week 14
  • Condor and the States of Guernsey have concluded a 50/50 joint venture agreement for the purchase of an additional ferry. [see the news: Condor Ferries buys STRAITSMAN]
  • The aim is to increase the resilience of the Island’s lifeline sea links with the UK, France and Jersey.
  • The deal will see both parties investing £3m of equity in the joint venture to own the second ‘ropax’ ship – the CONDOR ISLANDER – and receive a commercial return from the ferry operator. In addition, the States of Guernsey have made a loan from the bond of £26m, which will be repayable at a fixed rate of interest over 10 years.
Apr 06
Love0

Norsepower secures €28 million from investors to bring sails back to shipping

By 2023 Newsletter week 14

Norsepower Oy Ltd., provider of mechanical sails for large ships, has successfully secured 28 million euros in its latest Series C fundraising round.

French asset manager Mirova, an affiliate of Natixis Investment Management dedicated to sustainable investment, led the fundraising through its impact private equity Mirova Environment Acceleration Capital fund*.

Additional participants in the round included:

  • The Finnish Climate Fund (Ilmastorahasto)
  • OGCI Climate Investments
  • Nefco – The Nordic Green Bank
  • Tesi
  • Power Fund III.

With a focus on impact, these organisations have joined forces to enable Norsepower to scale up production and expand the reach of its fuel-saving and emissions-reducing technology.

Photo: Matthias Tasler/Scandlines