Jul 03
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Construction Of Stena Line’s Two New Larger E-Flexer Ferries Has Begun

By 2020 Newsletter week 27

The vessels, that are planned to be delivered in 2022, are the last of five vessels of the E-Flexer series that Stena Line ordered from sister company Stena RoRo, that are being built at the CMI Jinling Weihai Shipyard in China.

Of the first three vessels, the first two, STENA ESTRID and STENA EDDA, have already entered service on the Irish Sea earlier this year. The third vessel, STENA EMBLA, is in the final stages of construction and is expected to go in to service on the Belfast-Liverpool route according to plan in early 2021.

The two larger E-Flexer vessels will be 240m long with a capacity of 3,600 lane meters, compared to the first three which are 214m and have a capacity of 3,100 lane meters. In total, the larger vessels also get 50 % more cabins and beds, 30 % increased passenger capacity and an additional 15% cargo capacity.

In addition to the five new builds another two existing vessels in the fleet, STENA LAGAN and STENA MERSEY, will be extended by 36 metres and modified with efficient drive-through capabilities for loading and unloading in two levels. In total the modifications will increase the cargo capacity by 30% and add on a total of 75 cabins. The two vessels are expected to be back in traffic in Stena Line’s network in 2021.

Jul 03
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FERRY FINANCE

By 2020 Newsletter week 27

Moby Filed For Protection From Its Creditors Under Italian Insolvency Law

Milan, June 29, 2020 – “The boards of directors of Moby SpA and CIN SpA have resolved to present a request for a reservation pursuant to art. 161 sixth paragraph l.f. for both companies,” a statement from the company said.

“This choice has the aim of allowing the companies to continue negotiations with their creditors for the achievement of a restructuring agreement under the supervision and protection of the Milan court, protect business continuity and ensure the normal operation of routes for customers, employees and allied industries” the Onorato-controlled company added.

Moby Group hopes to reach, within the terms established by law, an agreement with its own creditors “which is fair, of common satisfaction and capable of guaranteeing that the companies can overcome their current difficulties and continue the relaunch of the Group in the interest of all stakeholders”.

The Milan-based ferry company said it is “in the best position to seize the opportunities that are emerging with the resumption of travel, and has already put in place all the necessary actions to continue to grow. The opportunities include, the strengthening of all connections – and in particular to and from Sardinia – reaching a total of 166 departures, the early reopening of the Corsica season, and the new partnership agreements to expand the offering to Sicily”.

Jul 03
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DFDS

By 2020 Newsletter week 27

DFDS Adapts To Post Covid-19 Market Conditions

The new initiatives include:

Industry sales of large freight customer solutions, involving both ferry and logistics operations, will be combined in one unit. The unit will be part of the Logistics Division Overlapping functions will be streamlined.

Freight and logistics operations will be adapted to new market conditions, including optimisation of port terminal and haulage operations

Passenger concepts have been aligned to changes in travel market dynamics (mainly transportation and holiday travel).

Onboard concepts and offerings have been simplified.

A range of improvement and efficiency projects will simplify and focus business support functions. This includes a reshaped and integrated IT and digital organisation as well as a downsizing of various functions.

These initiatives are expected to generate annual cost savings of up to DKK 250m. In 2020, a positive financial impact of DKK 50-75m is expected.

The adaptation to the new market conditions will lead to around 650 employees leaving DFDS in the coming months, 200 of whom are employed in Denmark. DFDS currently employs around 8,600 people.

A one-off redundancy cost of around DKK 100m is expected in 2020 and will be recorded under Special items

DFDS: Current Situation

Freight volumes in Q2 have in most areas been above expectations and of the 12 freight carrying ferries laid up in March/April, five have now been redeployed.

One of the passenger routes, Oslo-Frederikshavn-Copenhagen, reopened on 25 June following the opening of borders between Denmark and Norway.

The reopening of the second passenger route, Amsterdam-Newcastle, and the non-essential travel on the English Channel is contingent on an easing of UK and EU travel restrictions.

DFDS:  Outlook 2020

On 7 May 2020, the outlook for EBITDA before special items was reduced towards DKK 2bn.

Uncertainty remains exceptionally high, particularly for passenger travel, and this may still cause the outlook and its assumptions to change significantly in the second half of the year.

Therefore, the 2020 outlook for EBITDA before special items is maintained at this point in time.

Jul 03
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FERRY PORTS

By 2020 Newsletter week 27

Ferry Connections Between Finland And Estonia Are Better Than Ever

A record number of vessels is now shuttling between Finland and Estonia.

“Regular travel, which was forced to come a halt for some time, is now back, and this summer ferry connection with our neighbours is better than ever,” said Valdo Kalm, chairman of the board at the Port of Tallinn. “People can travel to Tallinn Old City Harbour on board of one of nine ships, and two ships go on the Vuosaari-Muuga route.”

The Vuosaari-Muuga connection is especially convenient for those who travel by car and want to discover eastern parts of Estonia, for example, Narva-Jõesuu, or to drive south to Tartu or Lake Peipus. The route is operated by Tallink’s Sea Wind and Eckerö Lines’ Finbo Cargo.

In June, the first ever direct lines from Tallinn to Maarianhamina, the capital of the Aland autonomous area in Finland, were opened. Previously, Maarianhamina used to be a short midway stop on Tallinn-Stockholm route. In July, connection with Turku will be added, so the people of Turku region and Southwestern Finland can travel directly to Tallinn and Estonia.

“Surveys show that the interest in traveling to Estonia is very high among Finnish people, which is why these kinds of diverse traveling options give Finns opportunities to discover well-known places and every hidden gem that Estonia has to offer alike,” Valdo Kalm added.

According to the latest statistics of Port of Tallinn, it was already in June that the number of Finnish nationals outnumbered Estonian nationals on Tallinn-Helsinki line.

From Helsinki, routes to the Tallinn Old City Harbour are operated by Eckerö Line, Tallink and Viking Line. The Vuosaari-Muuga route is operated by Eckerö Line and Tallink. The Turku and Aland routes as well as the cruise to Saaremaa are organized by Tallink.

Jul 03
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IN THE MEDIA

By 2020 Newsletter week 27

ICG Boss Says Ferries Subsidy ‘Wasting Taxpayers’ Money’

Eamonn Rothwell, chief executive of Irish Continental Group has warned that any move by the new Government to extend a subsidy scheme to keep certain sea routes going during the Covid-19 pandemic would be a “waste of taxpayers’ money” and further distort the market.

French Stevedore Firm Goes Into Liquidation, Creating A Challenge For Condor

Condor’s St Malo operations face a period of uncertainty as the company which provides its freight and foot passenger baggage services at the port has been placed into liquidation.

Jul 03
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SHORT NEWS

By 2020 Newsletter week 27

Seajets’ WORLD CHAMPION JET Enters Service On July 3

On July 3, 2020, Seajets’ WORLD CHAMPION JET (6,402gt/2000) will return in service and will be the first large High-Speed Craft to operate on the Hellenic coastal shipping for the summer 2020.

The vessel will depart from Piraeus every morning at 07.00 for Syros – Mykonos – Paros – Naxos – Ios – Santorini and vice versa and will return at 17.50 to the port of Piraeus.

A-Ships Management’s GALAXY Introduced On The Italy-Albania Route

On June 22, 2020, A-Ships Management announced the introduction of its ferry GALAXY (10,553gt/1979) on the Brindisi-Vlore line for the summer season 2020. Last summer, she was chartered to the Moroccan INTERSHIPPING – for a period of 3 months – and served the Algeciras-Tanger Med line.

P&O Ferries Charters RoRo For Irish Sea

P&O introduces a fourth ship on the Liverpool – Dublin route. The new addition will be the Godby Shipping freight-only vessel MISIDA, starting on July 6.

Godby Shipping’s other roro vessel MIDAS has also left its lay-up, fort an unknown short-term charter.

Jul 03
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PHOTO OF THE WEEK

By 2020 Newsletter week 27

Rederij Doeksen Presents WILLEM BARENTSZ

Ferry Shipping News was present at the introduction of WILLEM BARENTSZ of Rederij Doeksen on 1 July 2020.

This latest addition to the fleet of Rederij Doeksen , WILLEM BARENTSZ will come into service on Friday July 3, and her sistership WILLEM DE VLAMINGH in September. The two vessels will be on the Dutch ferry routes between Harlingen-Vlieland and Harlingen-Terschelling. To celebrate this, Rederij Doeksen organised a presentation on the vessel for a targeted audience. We thank Rederij Doeksen for the well appreciated invitation.

The Managing Director, Paul Mellies explained in his presentation that this vessel and her sister vessel have been constructed with the objective to lower the environmental impact on the Wadden Sea’s vulnerable ecosystem. The islands of Terschelling and Vlieland are very popular holiday destinations in the Netherlands and as a result of that, Rederij Doeksen is transporting approx. 785,000 passengers across the Wadden Sea every year.

Rederij Doeksen is the first Wadden-area shipping company in the Netherlands to commission LNG fuelled passenger ships. The bunkering is supplied by tank trucks.

Thanks to innovative applications, the lightweight, aluminium vessels consume significantly less energy than traditional steel ferries. The choice of LNG over low-sulphur diesel, was well-considered and results in a CO2 emissions reduction of around 11%, along with 90% less NOx, 100% less SOx, and a 95% reduction in PM10 (particulate matter) emissions. When, in time, usable Bio-LNG becomes commercially available, it may be possible to further enhance the CO2 reduction.

Paul Melles added that LNG is a safe choice as it is proven technique.

Furthermore, the vessel is equipped with solar panels to supply a portion of all onboard services that use electricity for lighting, heating, and catering systems, resulting in reduced use of LNG.

The vessel is equipped with a residual heat recovery system that ensures the maximum amount of heat is recovered for heating and electricity generation. This system covers the full energy demand needed to propel the bow thrusters for manoeuvring in port.

All of these above-mentioned factors offer a significant contribution to the preservation of the Wadden Sea area vulnerable ecosystem.

The interior has been designed by the Vripack design studio, located in Sneek. This company also designed the TEXELSTROOM of TESO. This ferry company runs a daily ferry connection between Den Helder and Texel.

Vripack design studio has a vision that, apart from looking at the design itself, the designers should also consider the consequences on its environment and use. It was clear to Rederij Doeksen and Vripack that the design of the interior of both new vessels had to focus on the passenger experience. On both ships, the ‘Wadden experience’ has been enhanced by, for example, maximising the height and width of the windows to create a wonderful outdoor feeling. The outdoor area’s will be the place to be for sun lovers in the summertime. The upstairs bar is cosy and a good place to be when the weather is not good enough to be outside on the 90 minutes journey from the mainland to the islands.

We from Ferry Shipping News wish both vessels and her passengers many safe sailings

Jul 03
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VIDEO

By 2020 Newsletter week 27

Launch Video For Austal Hull 397

The A.P.T. JAMES  for the National Infrastructure Development Company of Trinidad and Tobago is a 94 metre high-speed catamaran ferry launched from Austal Vietnam’s Vung Tau shipyard in May 2020 .

The vessel is now alongside at Austal Vietnam in Vung Tau and fit-out work continues, prior to sea trials commencing in August 2020.

Jun 25
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FERRY SHIPPING

By 2020 Newsletter week 26

Brittany Ferries And Somanor Confirm Termination Of Honfleur Shipbuilding Contract

Somanor SAS (a semi-public company bringing together the Normandy Region, and the Calvados and Manche Departments), and Brittany Ferries have confirmed the termination of the construction contract for Honfleur with the Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft (FSG) shipyard. (17 June 2020)

The vessel has been under construction in Flensburg, Germany, since 2017. HONFLEUR was originally scheduled to enter service in June 2019, but delivery of the vessel has been postponed several times due to persistent financial problems encountered by the yard’s management.

The change of main shareholder in September 2019, with the arrival of Lars Windhorst and the Tennor group, did not allow the yard to return to growth and competitiveness.

With the surprise announcement that the yard was placed under the protection of the Commercial Court in May 2020, and unsuccessful discussions with the current management of FSG and its main creditors, Somanor and Brittany Ferries, the backers of HONFLEUR, acknowledged that they had lost confidence in the yard’s ability to complete the vessel within a reasonable period of time.