The charter of Moby Group’s roro GIUSEPPE LUCCHESI has begun. Cotunav started to operate her between Rades and Italy (12+12 months).
Moby Group, with only one roro left after all others have been successfully chartered out, is in the meanwhile looking forward to the delivery of the new ropaxes. The first is soon to be delivered by GSI SHIPYARD in China, adding freight capacity.
The construction of two new ferries for Islay is officially underway after the first piece of steel was cut on 3 October 2022).
The steel-cutting ceremony took place at Cemre Marin Endustri shipyard in Turkey, where the two vessels are being built for Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL).
94.8m | 450 passengers | 100 cars or 14 commercial vehicles
The Islay vessels form part of a 10-year programme of investment by CMAL, backed by £580 million from the Scottish Government for five years from 2021 to 2026. Plans will deliver 21 new vessels for the fleet and multi-million-pound upgrade of harbour infrastructure over the next decade. Further multi-million-pound investment will be needed to fund plans from 2026 onwards.
CargoBeamer wrote history by successfully running the first ever train with trailers between Marseille and Calais. The train serves as the first successful railway line for unaccompanied transport of craneable and non-craneable semi-trailers on rail, a field CargoBeamer is specialized in. Travelling from the Port of Marseille Fos to the CargoBeamer-Terminal in Calais, the service enabled 28 units to be transported on sustainable rail instead of the road.
“Superstar RoPaxes will be larger than the existing Star class and they will be Finnlines’ flagships both in terms of size and technology,” says Antonio Raimo, Line Manager at Finnlines.
Attica Holdings S.A. announced that the Group has entered into bilateral credit facilities with three Greek credit institutions for a total amount of EUR 210 million and tenors from five to seven years, successfully concluding the long-term refinancing of all Group’s credit facilities maturing in 2022-2023.
Consolidated (in EUR)
Traffic volumes (compared to H1, 2021)
+108% passengers
+56% private vehicles
+16% freight units
+54% number of sailings
Agreement with creditors and shareholders of ANEK
On 21.9.2022, the Company announced that an agreement was reached with the largest creditors of ANEK S.A., as well as with ANEK shareholders representing 57.70% of the total share capital of ANEK.
The agreement provides for:
The agreement was executed on 23.9.2022.
The merger of ANEK with Attica Group will lead to the formation of a new shipping giant in Greece. It will operate 45 ferries on all the main Greece and Italy lines.
With the specific agreement a significant write-off of the ANEK’s’ debts by EUR 156,4 million was decided. Attica Group will only pay EUR 80 million from the total of EUR 236,4 million.
After the completion of the agreement, which is expected by March 2023, Attica group will control four companies in Greece: Superfast Ferries, Blue Star Ferries, Hellenic Seaways and ANEK Lines.
Attica Group also operates in the Western Mediterranean with a 49% stake in Africa Morocco Line.
Grimaldi Group and the Port Authority of Thessaloniki will finally compete for the Port of Igoumenitsa. According to the Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund the offers submitted by the above two candidates have been eventually selected in the context of the tender for the concession of 67% of the Igoumenitsa Port Authority.
The two interested parties will be invited to submit new improvement offers at the beginning of October.
According to the same information, the Grimaldi Group and the Port Authority of Thessaloniki will compete – along with other “candidates” – for the port of Heraklion as well. The process will start at the beginning of the year and bids are expected to be submitted on January 18, 2023.
Photo: Port of Igoumenitsa, Spyridon Roussos
The Boreal ferry has been converted from LNG to battery power.
The owner Boreal Norge AS won the tender for ferry operations between Molde and Vestnes back in 2019. The Norwegian Ship Design Company [LinkedIn] started working on feasibility studies for using KARLSØYFJORD and her sister HARØYFJORD on this route.
The feasibility studies led to a shipyard bid package, a conversion design and a substantial engineering package.
HARØYFJORD was converted from LNG to diesel power last year. Earlier this year KARLSØYFJORD arrived at Fiskerstrand Verft for a major rebuilding, enabling zero-emission crossings on the 6.2 nautical miles route.
The Norwegian Ship Design Company is now working on the hybridization of the ferry MALANGEN (Torghatten Nord AS, to be done by Fosen Yard).
Stena Line Ports have announced in a press release that in 2023 cruise liners will again be able to berth directly in the port again. This being made possible due to the deal to buy the former aluminium site in Holyhead, that also includes the multi-purpose deep water terminal. It will now allow the Company the ability to open the berth for cruise liners again after a four-year hiatus during the Pandemic.
Photo: Ian Davies, Head of UK Port Authorities and Stena Line Ports
