Jul 05
3

Torghatten Appoints New CEO: Kjetil Håbjørg Joins in August

By | 2025 Newsletter week 27 | No Comments

Torghatten has announced the appointment of Kjetil Håbjørg as Group CEO, starting 15 August 2025.

He joins from his role as Norway Director at SAS, bringing over 20 years of leadership experience in aviation, with a strong background in managing large and complex operations both in Norway and abroad.

Håbjørg, who grew up in a small community himself, says he identifies closely with Torghatten’s mission to support quality of life and business along the coast.

Until mid-August, Stein Andre Herigstad-Olsen will continue as acting CEO.

Jul 05
1

IMAGE CARDS

By | 2025 Newsletter week 27 | No Comments

Molslinjen has inaugurated its own internal safety training facility at Odden Ferry Port, allowing crew to practise emergency procedures in the same waters their ferries sail. This new Kombardo Academy enables practical training, such as life raft drills, without needing to travel to external locations. Up to 200 staff from all Molslinjen routes will benefit from the high-quality, in-house courses each year.

Photo: Molslinjen

CLdN’s second hybrid G9e vessel, LEONINE, has departed on her maiden voyage from the Far East to Europe.

Following delivery from Hyundai Mipo Dockyard, the vessel underwent a short drydock at Changhong International Shipyard in Zhoushan, China. There, she was fitted with a low-friction silicone hull coating and advanced thruster grids designed to reduce hull resistance—key steps in line with CLdN’s commitment to lowering its carbon footprint.

LEONINE is expected to arrive in Europe by the end of the summer, where she will be welcomed into the fleet.

Watch the video of LEONINE leaving the shipyard in China: click on the photo.

MASSALIA, formerly NORMANDIE (1992), has made her inaugural call in Tanger Med — marking a new chapter for La Méridionale in the Mediterranean.

Refitted to meet passenger and freight needs, the ship offers reliable, comfortable, and responsible transport between France and Morocco. With capacity for 1,200 passengers, 492 vehicles, and 2,370 lane metres of freight, MASSALIA strengthens ties between both shores.

Source: La Meridionale on Linkedin

Jun 27
3

New Investment Boosts Echandia’s North American Expansion

By | 2025 Newsletter week 26 | No Comments
  • Swedish battery specialist Echandia has secured new long-term funding from U.S.-based S2G Investments, raising its latest round to SEK 325 million (USD 34 million).
  • The capital will support scale-up of production, U.S. market growth, and R&D from its new Marysville, Washington facility.
  • Echandia’s LTO battery systems serve ferries, RoRo/RoPax vessels, tugs, and offshore ships, with clients including Molslinjen and WETA San Francisco.
  • Revenue quadrupled in 2024 and is set to triple again in 2025 amid rising demand for zero-emission marine tech.
  • Echandia will supply batteries for the San Francisco Bay Ferry’s REEF programme, with deliveries starting in 2026.

Source: Echandia

Jun 27
3

ML FREYJA Starts New Charter With Grendi in Italy

By | 2025 Newsletter week 26 | No Comments
  • The RoRo ship ML FREYJA has arrived in Cagliari from Zeebrugge.
  • She will be renamed GRENDI STAR for a new long-term charter with Grendi Trasporti Marittimi.
  • Grendi, controlled by the Musso family, operates services linking mainland Italy (Marina di Carrara, Tuscany) with Sardinia (Cagliari and Olbia).
  • Built in 2017 by Cantiere Navale Visentini and owned by Visemar Levante (Visentini family), the ship offers:
    • 2,700 lane metres
    • Length: 191m
    • Beam: 26m
    • Draught: ~8m
    • Speed: 22 knots
  • Until recently, ML FREYJA was chartered by Mann Lines (now owned by Wallenius SOL) in Northern Europe, calling at Bremerhaven, Zeebrugge, Tilbury, Cuxhaven, Paldiski, and Turku.
  • She has been replaced by the newly built SOUTH ENABLER, also delivered by Cantiere Navale Visentini.

Photo Mike Louagie

Jun 27
3

Stena Futura Completes Sea Trials Ahead of Irish Sea Debut

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  • STENA FUTURA, the first of Stena Line’s new hybrid ferries, has completed successful sea trials.
  • The vessel is on track to enter service on the Belfast–Heysham route in late summer.
  • Trials tested key systems including engine performance, manoeuvrability, and safety equipment.
  • STENA FUTURA and sister ship STENA CONNECTA will boost freight capacity on the route by 40%.
  • Both ships feature hybrid technology, enabling battery propulsion and shore power use to support Stena Line’s sustainability goals.
Jun 27
3

Attica Group Supports Social Tourism Programme for 6th Year

By | 2025 Newsletter week 26 | No Comments
  • Attica Group continues its participation in Greece’s Social Tourism Programme 2025–2026.
  • Over 193,000 beneficiaries have travelled with discounted fares since 2020.
  • In 2025–2026, the programme will benefit 325,000 eligible travellers, including unemployed individuals, pensioners, and workers.
  • Attica offers 75% discounts on round-trip fares; some groups (e.g., people with disabilities) travel free.
  • Valid from 1 June 2025 to 31 May 2026 across domestic routes served by Blue Star Ferries, Hellenic Seaways, and ANEK Lines.
Jun 27
3

Deltamarin to Design Six Methanol‑Ready RoPax Vessels for Grimaldi

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  • Deltamarin has secured a basic and detailed design contract for six ‘Next Generation Med’ RoPax ships for Grimaldi Group.
  • Set for Mediterranean deployment under Grimaldi Lines and Minoan Lines, each 229 m vessel will host 3,300 lane metres, over 300 cars and up to 2,500 passengers, with more than 300 cabins.
  • These pioneer ships will be methanol‑ready and feature shore power compatibility, silicon hull coatings, optimised hull‑propeller designs and advanced power‑management—cutting CO₂ emissions per cargo unit by 50%+.
  • Design work starts immediately, with deliveries slated between 2028 and 2030.

Source: Deltamarin

Jun 27
3

DFDS Marks 150 Years of Esbjerg–UK Route

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  • DFDS celebrates 150 years since the first Esbjerg–UK sailing in 1875.
  • The freight route handles over 100,000 trailers annually (1.5 million lane metres).
  • Originally carrying cattle, later Danish exports like bacon, butter, and eggs.
  • Passenger services ran from 1925 to 2014, but freight has always been core.
  • CEO Torben Carlsen: “The route is a symbol of enduring partnership between Denmark and the UK.”
  • Two vessels—ARK DANIA and ARK GERMANIA—offer six weekly departures to Immingham (18.5h crossing).
Jun 27
3

Holyhead Terminal 3 Repairs Delayed

By | 2025 Newsletter week 26 | No Comments
  • Spain’s Ministry of Transport has extended Armas Trasmediterránea’s public service contract on the Cádiz–Canary Islands route until 30 June 2026.
  • The route connects Cádiz with Gran Canaria, Tenerife, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura and La Palma.
  • Main vessel: CIUDAD DE VALENCIA (605 pax, 240 vehicles, 2,564 lane metres), supported by VOLCÁN DE TINAMAR.
  • Corporate Commercial Director Óscar Martínez calls the extension “an important step” for island-mainland connectivity and trade—especially for exports like bananas.
  • The service is part of the operator’s plan to consolidate its Peninsula–Canary Islands operations in Cádiz and improve efficiency and competitiveness.