Building A Marine Supply Infrastructure As Part Of A Future Hydrogen Society
Hydrogen has become one of the potential fuels for future transport needs.
Brittany Ferries Might Be Interested in Condor Ferries
An internal letter from Brittany Ferries informed its employees that the company might be interested in taking over Condor Ferries, together with a co-investor.
Brittany Ferries would not like to see Condor being taken over by a competitor.
The BF management said it was too early to comment.
Condor Ferries is currently owned by The Australian Macquarie Fund.
- DFDS’ second Chinese newbuilding TROY SEAWAYS has started to work on the Turkey-Italy service, setting a freight record for the company, by loading 552 units.
- Wagenborg Shipping confirmed the sale of ro-ro vessels SCHIEBORG and SLINGEBORG to AB DFDS Seaways on 17 June 2019. The vessels have been renamed BELGIA SEAWAYS and GOTHIA SEAWAYS respectively.
Eckerö’s New Acquisition Started to Operate
The FINBO CARGO started service on Tuesday 25 June.
This photo (by Kalle Id) was taken during her first arrival in Vuosaari harbour, at least in commercial service. She did do a berthing test some days earlier.
She sails between Vuosaari (Finland) and Muuga (Estonia). Why Muuga and not the old city harbour in Tallinn. Rumour has it that the port of Tallinn didn’t originally want to make the necessary changes to the Muuga harbour, but the big public outrage of a cargo-oriented ferry coming to the city center made them change their mind.
And in Helsinki, of course, these days harbour fees for trucks are more expensive in the city center harbours than they are in Vuosaari, hence additional capacity in Vuosaari makes sense.
Maelir AB Becomes Viking Line’s Largest Individual Owner
On Wednesday 19 June, Maelir AB acquired just over 17.1% of Viking Line Abp.
Maelir AB is a private holding company based in Stockholm. It is active in real estate, hospitality and shipping.
After the transaction, Maelir’s ownership in Viking Line amounts to 17.75%. From now on Maelir is Viking Line’s largest individual owner.
Sellers include the companies Ab Rafael and Rafael Investering Ab.
Rafael Mattsson co-founded Rederiaktiebolaget Vikinglinjen, which later became Viking Line Abp. He was also the founder of the company which today constitutes both Ab Rafael and Rafael Investing Ab. For a long time, he was board member of Viking Line, and CEO ad interim when co-founder Gunnar Eklund retired.
What is Operation Marhaba? Each year many Moroccan expats travel to their home country during summer. Known as ‘Operation Marhaba 2019’, this migration sees a huge peak in ferry travel across the Western Mediterranean and Strait of Gibraltar. In the beginning of summer to go south, at the end they head back north.
When? From 5 June till 15 September 2019.
Numbers: 28 Ferries on 11 Routes.
What has been improved?
- Algeciras – Tanger Med
- +8% daily rotations: 13 ferries offer 53 daily rotations
- +11% passenger capacity 47,210
- +13% car capacity 12,895
Almeria – Nador
- +30% daily rotations: 4 ferries offer 6.5 daily rotations
- +56% passenger capacity 7,800
- +62% car capacity 2,185
Busiest periods
Southbound peak period is 14-21 July and 25 July- 8 August, with 5,000 cars and 18,000 pax per day.
Northbound peak period starts mid-August, with more than 5,000 cars and 18,000 pax per day, until 2 September.
What is Operation Marhaba? Each year many Moroccan expats travel to their home country during summer. Known as ‘Operation Marhaba 2019’, this migration sees a huge peak in ferry travel across the Western Mediterranean and Strait of Gibraltar. In the beginning of summer to go south, at the end they head back north.
When? From 5 June till 15 September 2019.
Numbers: 28 Ferries on 11 Routes.
What has been improved?
- Algeciras – Tanger Med
- +8% daily rotations: 13 ferries offer 53 daily rotations
- +11% passenger capacity 47,210
- +13% car capacity 12,895
Almeria – Nador
- +30% daily rotations: 4 ferries offer 6.5 daily rotations
- +56% passenger capacity 7,800
- +62% car capacity 2,185
Busiest periods
Southbound peak period is 14-21 July and 25 July- 8 August, with 5,000 cars and 18,000 pax per day.
Northbound peak period starts mid-August, with more than 5,000 cars and 18,000 pax per day, until 2 September.
Early May DFDS entered a five-year agreement with Stora Enso to transport around 700,000 tons of paper and paperboard products annually. This week (week 25), DFDS
launched the new route between Zeebrugge and Gothenburg.
The two tailormade 2,450 lane metre ro-ro ships owned by Wagenborg and operating on the route since the beginning have been acquired by DFDS and given DFDS names.
SCHIEBORG became BELGIA SEAWAYS and SLINGEBORG is now GOTHIA SEAWAYS.
FIONIA SEAWAYS has been transferred from the Gothenburg – Ghent route to the new route and will take part in the 8 to 12 weekly departures. She left Gothenburg for the first time on 15 June, Zeebrugge-bound.
MSC Enters Messina Group With a 49% Stake and Takes Four Con-Ro Ships
Gianluigi Aponte’s Italian holding Marinvest and Ignazio Messina & C. Group have formally signed the agreement which makes MSC new owner of four ships and of a minority stake in the shipping company.
Aponte will invest €25m for a 49% stake in the Genoa-based group and for a 52% stake in a new single purpose vehicle controlling four of the eight modern con-ro ships. More specifically the units set to be 52% controlled by MSC will be JOLLY DIAMANTE, JOLLY PERLA, JOLLY TITANIO and JOLLY COBALTO.
Messina has a financial exposure of over €450m mainly with Banca Carige, related to the fleet renovation plan completed in the last few years with 8 new con-ro ships built in South Korea by Daewoo and STX shipyards from 2011 to 2015.
Besides the fresh capital Gianluigi Aponte will put in the Genoa-based shipping company, also the Messina family will put €5m on the table to re-launch the business which will be possible also through several operative synergies between the Italian and the Swiss firms.
The agreement is subject to the approval of the competent antitrust and port authorities.
Cypriot-based Seajets confirmed the purchase of the monohull HSC CAPRICORN (1999), which is laid up at the Nauta Lamjana shipyard in Croatia since 2011.
The vessel belonged to the American Avid Ltd, which purchased her from Aliaga with the prospect of converting her into a mega-superyacht, but plans fell through.
HSC CAPRICORN is a sister ship of TERA JET and she arrived at the port of Piraeus under tow on 19 June (see photo).
