Mar 10
Love4

First in Croatia: Jadroplov Electric Ferry Could Sail in 2024

By 2022 Newsletter week 10

The Jadroplov electric ferry, the first large Croatian ship to transport 1,000 passengers and 156 cars without the emission of harmful gases, could sail in 2024, writes Total Croatia News.

The prototype was designed by the Split company “Classis.”

Predrag Čudina, a ship designer, told Slobodna Dalmacija more: “The ship will be built for Split’s “Jadroplov,” with which we have signed a contract for the development of the project. So far, several electric boats have been built in Croatia, but we are talking about the first large Croatian ship to transport a thousand passengers and 156 cars, or about twenty buses and trucks and 89 small vehicles.”

Mar 10
Love4

Scotland: New vessel for Mallaig-Lochboisdale

By 2022 Newsletter week 10

The Mallaig-Lochboisdale new vessel project will look to replace the existing ropax LORD OF THE ISLES, aiming “to increase the resilience and reliability of the service whilst reducing emissions.”

Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited is hosting an online webinar to share details of both the new Mallaig-Lochboisdale vessel project and Gasay infrastructure project

The webinar will take place on Wednesday 16th March between 19:00 and 20:00 (London time).

Mar 10
Love4

Virtu Ferries new fast ferry to arrive soon

By 2022 Newsletter week 10

The new high-speed ferry for the Gozo- Malta route is expected to arrive in Valletta towards the end of March 2022.

GOZO EXPRESS, carries 308 passengers and includes outside seating.

It was designed by Incat Crowther.

GOZO EXPRESS is powered by four MTU 12V2000 M72 engines and four Rolls Royce water jets and is capable of a maximum speed of more than 38 knots, and a service speed of 35 knots.

It will replace the SES SAN PAWL and will operate alongside the SES SAN FRANGISK.

The SES SAN PAWL will be redeployed on the company’s Venice to Croatia route under the banner of Venezia Lines.

Mar 10
Love4

Grimaldi to open a new ropax link between the ports of Savona and Porto Torres

By 2022 Newsletter week 10

A few days after the refusal expressed by the port of Genoa to handle passenger traffic to and from the Terminal San Giorgio, Grimaldi Group announced a new line between the ports of Savona and Porto Torres, in Sardinia, operated with the ferry ZEUS PALACE.

ZEUS PALACE is moving from the Patras-Ancona route.

It’s the first time for the Naples-based shipping line to operate a regular maritime transport service focused on passenger traffic as in the recent past the same route was covered but for roro only.

The new Savona-Porto Torres link will be effective from April 11th with three sailing per week soon to be upgraded to a daily frequency in July, August and until mid-September.

Mar 10
Love4

Ferry veteran CHARTRES sold for scrap

By 2022 Newsletter week 10

On her way to India (Bhavnagar Anchorage) is the former Sealink veteran CHARTRES. She was sold for scrap.

She was built in France in 1974 for SNCF and had a remarkable career in Greece and Azores as the popular EXPRESS SANTORINI (1993-2016).

In November 2016 she was sold to United Arab Emirates (Salem Al Makrani) and served as the AL SALMY 4.

In July 2021, she was transferred to Seajets and renamed AQUA MYTH. The plan was to return the 48-year-old ship to Greece. However, she was renamed MYTH, flag of Comoros.

Mar 10
Love4

Moby’s GIUSEPPE SA to be sold at auction

By 2022 Newsletter week 10

Moby’s veteran GIUSEPPE SA, currently idle in the Italian port of Piombino, will soon be sold at an auction following a procedure just approved by the Court of Milan under which the Vincenzo Onorato-controlled group submitted a debt restructuring plan.

Tender price is EUR 1,560,474 and the sale will take place on March 31st.

Looking at the age (built 1975) the roro is likely to be sold to a ship recycler since last year a cash buyer offered more than EUR 2.1 million.

The vessel can transport 376 passengers and 103 trailers.

Mar 10
Love4

Ropax EPSILON to change hands

By 2022 Newsletter week 10

Ropax EPSILON, owned by Caronte & Tourist, but operated for several years in a bareboat charter by Irish Ferries, will change hands in the near future.

The Italian company controlled by the Franza and Matacena families has just found an agreement with a Polish company (unconfirmed but the prime suspect is Euroafrica) for the sale of this ferry at a price of about 50 million euro.

The delivery will take place no earlier than next November because until that date EPSILON is employed on a bareboat charter, with options to extend the charter until mid-2023.

Mar 10
Love4

TT-Line’s NILS HOLGERSSON is on its delivery voyage

By 2022 Newsletter week 10

The first of two of a completely new generation of ferries called ‘Green Ships’ has been delivered to TT-Line.

  • First ferry in the southern Baltic Sea to be operated with LNG
  • The combination of the significantly better emissions balance of LNG, more efficient ship operation and significantly increased capacity for freight and passengers enables the CO2 balance to be improved by up to 60%.
  • An energy-efficient air conditioning system ensures minimal energy consumption.
  • Engine heat recovery system
  • LED light reduces power consumption by 80% and ensures a tenfold longer service life.
  • The optimized hull, including a specially designed bulbous bow, results in low fuel consumption considering the ship’s speed profile.
  • Special shaft seals with additional air chambers prevent water contamination from lubricating oil.
  • Extensive waste management.
  • 32 charging stations on the car decks.

More than 90% of the technology is provided by European suppliers.

Mar 03
Love4

DFDS : “five battery-powered cross-Channel ferries towards 2030”

By 2022 Newsletter week 9

This and other interesting items can be read in the DFDS Annual Report 2021.

Some interesting elements:

Newbuilding plans (p29)

There are currently no plans to build new ferries, apart from a green ferry new building scheduled for 2025. The next major fleet investment program is expected to be renewal of the five short-sea Channel ferries for completion towards 2030. These ferries are expected to be battery powered due to the short crossing time of the Dover Strait.

Remark: under ‘investments’ (p24), DKK 2.3bn investments are expected in 2022:

One combined freight and passenger ferry new building and exercise of a purchase option to buy one freight ferry: DKK 800m.

About Irish Ferries on Calais-Dover (p32)

The excess capacity created by the entry of an additional operator is therefore likely to impact both freight and passenger pricing negatively in 2022. The likely passenger ticket price decreases will to some extent be mitigated by additional revenue from duty-free sales. Moreover, the new entrant will decrease the energy efficiency of the Dover Strait transport corridor.

Baltic Sea region (p32)

Freight volumes have grown in recent years which has led to capacity increases on routes operated by both direct and indirect competitors. The bridge between Germany and Denmark is expected to be completed within the next ten years and this has also prompted some operators to adjust their route networks. Freight ferry capacity in the region is therefore expected to continue to grow faster than demand in 2022.

Truck driver shortage

The truck driver shortages experienced in 2021 are likely to persist in the coming years. This is expected to support continued growth in the demand for unaccompanied ferry services that DFDS primarily provides in the North Sea and Mediterranean business units.

Roro vessel market

There was high demand for roro’s offered for chartering in the market and fixtures were made for longer periods at strong rates. Despite a market orderbook for newbuildings above both 2019 and 2020 (2019: 50k LM, 2020: 25k LM, 2021: 43k LM) and limited scrapping, all new buildings were absorbed in the market and several large operators added extra charter capacity to their networks.

The orderbook for 2022 and 2023 is around 70k LM, although Covid-19 related delays are expected to move delivery of several ferries into 2024. Smaller/older vessels are currently sold to secondary markets, rather than scrapped, and thus removed from the European market as well.

Ropax vessels

There was high demand for combined ferries with an overweight of freight capacity, to the extent that no vessels were available for chartering during most of 2021.

Charter rates for this ferry type thus increased during 2021.

Conversely, the demand for passenger-focused ferries was low and several vessels were idle during the year.

The orderbook for combined ferries is around 105k LM stretching to 2025 as few vessels were delivered in recent years (2019: 11k LM, 2020: 11k LM, 2021: 17k LM).

Click on cover