Green hydrogen could play a crucial role in the maritime industry’s journey towards decarbonization, but there are significant challenges with implementing hydrogen technology in shipping.

• Total consolidated traffic throughput of 10.5 million tonnes in 2020 compared to 10.1 million in 2019
• Containers +4% = a record 250,209 TEU (new shipping modes in response to Brexit and the commencement of a direct ConRo service from Ringaskiddy to
• Consolidated turnover for the year 2020 amounted to €33.7 million (-47%)
• Profit after taxation €4.7m (2019: €6m).

Seatruck’s roro vessel ARROW will be joining CalMac on a short-term charter, she will commence operations from 19 July to 7 September 2021.

The vessel will be operated by Seatruck on behalf of CalMac and will be a dedicated freight service, providing additional capacity and resilience to the Ullapool/Stornoway route.

The conversion of the former MIDSLAND is in full progress at Perama repair zone. The small vessel was purchased by Leventakis Family last April and arrived in Greece on May 7, 2021. Recently, renamed NISSOS AIGINA and she will be probably introduced on the Piraeus- Saronic Gulf Islands.

Photo: Kapogiannatos Shipyards (Constructions-Repairs)

Covid-19: Rules for Ferry Travel to the Greek Islands from the Mainland and Vice Versa

The Greek authorities recently updated the rules for ferry travel from the country’s islands to the mainland.

Read more (News GTP)

Gozo Channel figures confirm that the number of passengers travelling between the two islands remained practically unchanged – at just under 1.62 million.

In 2020, the bulk of passenger traffic took place in the first 3 months, before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic which led to a ban on non-essential travel between the two islands. While 1,038,142 passengers took the ferry between January and March of that year, the number dropped to just 907,453 between April and June.

This year, however, the number of Covid-19 cases peaked at the beginning of the year – leading to a fresh ban on non-essential travel in March. But numbers subsequently fell – before the latest surge – and the ban was lifted. Consequently, while 710,749 passengers took the Gozo Channel ferries between January and March, 907,453 used the ferries in the subsequent 3 months.

A total of 7,255 Gozo Channel ferry trips were made between April and June, a 36% increase when compared to 2020 figures.

The number of vehicles making the crossing increased by 45% to 409,569, translating to a ratio of around 2.2 passengers per vehicle.

Paris, Tuesday 20 July 2021

During a French press conference, Brittany Ferries announced the agreement with Stena RoRo for the construction of two new hybrid E-Flexers of a new generation.

• To be used on Channel routes from Saint-Malo (region Brittany) and Ouistreham (region Normandy) to Portsmouth.
• New generation of E-Flexers: shortened version (194m) because of port restrictions
• Hybrid: LNG + battery + Shore power
• Ten-year charter from Stena RoRo with purchase option after four years
• Strong financial involvement of regions Bretagne (SOMABRET) and Normandy (SOMANOR)
• To be delivered in 2024 and 2025
• They will replace the ferries NORMANDIE (1992) and BRETAGNE (1989)

Remark:

BARFLEUR (1992) will be replaced by COTENTIN, which will be rebuilt from roro to ropax (still a project, to be confirmed). COTENTIN is a near-sister of ARMORIQUE.

“One single cruise ship alone uses as much CO2 per day as 80,000 cars.”

Ursula von der Leyen

14 July. European Commission has put forward an extremely ambitious and drastic legislative package to slash the greenhouse gas emissions.

President Ursula von der Leyen explained how the Commission wants to reach the new target of a reduction of at least 55% of greenhouse gas emissions until 2030.

The tool: carbon pricing.

The Emissions Trading System will be applicable to shipping, as from 2023.

The “Fit for 55” measures will require approval by member states and the European Parliament, a process that could take two years.

The EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) puts a price on carbon and lowers the cap on emissions from certain economic sectors every year.

• The Commision proposes to include shipping emissions for the first time in the EU ETS.
• Shipowners will have to buy quotas, otherwise they cannot berth in EU ports.
• It is expected that the price of quotas will go up a lot.
• As from 2030 passenger ships (ferries if more than 2 hours in port) and container ships will need to connect to shore power in port. (read below link for details)
• The FuelEU Maritime Initiativewill stimulate the uptake of sustainable maritime fuels and zero-emission technologies by setting a maximum limit on the greenhouse gas content of energy used by ships calling at European ports.