Nov 30
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Marnavi Decided Not To Buy Sicilian Ferry Company Liberty Lines

By 2018 Newsletter week 48

Naples-based Marnavi shipping group decided not to proceed with a takeover of the Sicilian ferry company Liberty Lines, after giving the investigation its due diligence.

The company founded in 1993 by Vittorio Morace has a fleet of 32 hydrofoils, making it one the largest high-speed maritime passenger transport company in the world, and it has also a shipyard in Trapani.

In 2016 Liberty Lines acquired Siremar and 50.9% of the share capital of Traghetti delle Isole, the shipping company operating between the smaller islands of western Sicily. As of today the company offers regular maritime connections from Sicily to the Aeolian islands, to the Egadi islands and Pelagie islands.

The company is still under the administration of an external commissioner following the court case renamed “Mare monstrum” which happened in 2017.

Nov 30
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All Three New Irish Sea Stena Line Vessels On Schedule

By 2018 Newsletter week 48

Stena Line has reached an important milestone in its major new fleet investment programme, with the steel cutting of a third E-Flexer ro-pax ship to be deployed on its Irish Sea routes.

This means that all three new E-Flexer ships, planned to enter into service on the Irish Sea during 2020 and 2021, are now under construction at the Avic Weihai Shipyard in China.

The first of the new vessels will commence operation on the Holyhead to Dublin route in early 2020, with the remaining two ships to be introduced on the Liverpool to Belfast route in 2020 and 2021.

Nov 30
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Siremar Close To Order A Pair Of New Ferries For The Sicilian Market

By 2018 Newsletter week 48

In the occasion of the presentation held in Messina of the new ferry Elio delivered to from Sefine shipyard, the chairman of the company,

Vincenzo Franza, chairman of Caronte&Tourist, announced that two more vessels will be ordered soon. He announced it during an event in Messina, where the Sefine-built ELIO was presented. The two new ferries are needed for the routes from Sicily to Lampedusa and Pantelleria. Both those maritime links are covered by Siremar, the ferry company jointly controlled by Caronte&Tourist and Liberty Lines.

“The projects are ready and we also have the funds” said Franza.

Negotiation were ongoing in the recent past with several shipyards in China, Portugal, Poland, Turkey and Italy, with Fincantieri.

The project has been developed by Naos Design.

This new series of ro-pax units should have 1,000 passenger capacity, up to 170 cabins and 650 lane meters plus 60 cars of space in the garage. Propulsion might be dual-fuel LNG, repeating the choice made for the new ferry ELIO.

Nov 30
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Cotunav Charters Two Ro-Pax Units From Moby

By 2018 Newsletter week 48

The two ro-pax ferries SUPER-FAST BALEARES and MASSIMO MURA, in long-term charter to Moby, have been sub-chartered to Cotunav.

Both the units are already deployed on the North Africa – South Europe routes.

SUPER-FAST BALEARES, owned by Trasmediterranea, is being chartered for two months.

Route: Rades – Marseille

MASIMO MURA, controlled by CLdN, will be chartered until spring.

Route: Rades – Livorno – Genoa

Moby confirmed recently that the two newbuildings ALF POLLAK and MARIA GRAZIA ONORATO will be deployed on the Genoa – Livorno – Catania – Malta route.

ALF POLLAK will soon leave Flensburg for her delivery trip.

Nov 30
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Kefalonian Lines Leaves The Ionian Sea In Favour Of Levante Ferries

By 2018 Newsletter week 48

Kefalonian Lines announced officially its withdrawal –after 5 years- from the Ionian Sea. The company decided:

  • To suspend its ferry services on Zakynthos and Kefalonia lines.
  • To activate the ship ALEXANDRA L. to the Aegean Sea
  • To sell NISSOS KEFALONIA to its competitor Levante Ferries.

This decision, is certainly not serving the Ionian island’s interests, however, the fierce competition in combination with the sustainability reasons presented by Kefalonian Lines, leave Levante Ferries free to dominate the Ionian Sea.

Some interesting facts though are:

  • the Ionian Group’s commitment to launch a ship on the Patras-Sami run but only if it is subsidized.
  • the further use of the old ALEXANDRA L. in the Aegean Sea, where Attica Group and Seajets are dominant as well as the fate of the old ZAKINTHOS I (photo) which has been decommissioned seven months ago.

Levante Ferries is expected to spend almost EUR 10 million for the purchase and conversion of Kefalonian Line’s, NISSOS KEFALONIA.

The ship is expected to return fully upgraded on the Killini – Zakynthos and Killini – Poros route before summer.

Nov 30
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Dufry Secures A New Long-Term Contract For 15 P&O Ferries Ships To Be Operated Under The World Duty Free Brand

By 2018 Newsletter week 48

Dufry Group has signed a new long-term concession contract with P&O Ferries to operate shops under the World Duty Free brand on board 15 vessels.

The transfer of the operations with a total of 19 shops across a retail space of 3,600 m2 will be phased from April to May 2019.

Besides operating all shops, World Duty Free will be responsible for the refurbishment of the stores and for implementing state-of-the-art shop design to provide a tailored assortment proposition for each route.

Nov 30
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Kefalonian Lines Leaves The Ionian Sea In Favour Of Levante Ferries

By 2018 Newsletter week 48

Kefalonian Lines announced officially its withdrawal –after 5 years- from the Ionian Sea. The company decided:

  • To suspend its ferry services on Zakynthos and Kefalonia lines.
  • To activate the ship ALEXANDRA L. to the Aegean Sea
  • To sell NISSOS KEFALONIA to its competitor Levante Ferries.

This decision, is certainly not serving the Ionian island’s interests, however, the fierce competition in combination with the sustainability reasons presented by Kefalonian Lines, leave Levante Ferries free to dominate the Ionian Sea.

Some interesting facts though are:

  • the Ionian Group’s commitment to launch a ship on the Patras-Sami run but only if it is subsidized.
  • the further use of the old ALEXANDRA L. in the Aegean Sea, where Attica Group and Seajets are dominant as well as the fate of the old ZAKINTHOS I (photo) which has been decommissioned seven months ago.

Levante Ferries is expected to spend almost EUR 10 million for the purchase and conversion of Kefalonian Line’s, NISSOS KEFALONIA.

The ship is expected to return fully upgraded on the Killini – Zakynthos and Killini – Poros route before summer.

Nov 30
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FERRY PORTS

By 2018 Newsletter week 48

SOL Adds The Finnish Port Of Pietarsaari / Jakobstad To Its Network

Swedish Orient Line announced that the Finnish port of Pietarsaari / Jakobstad will be approached once a week by the THULELAND and TUNDRALAND ro-ro ferries, extending the shipping company’s line network.

The route includes calls in Lübeck, Zeebrugge and Tilbury. The new route supports the export of paper products of the Finnish company BillerudKorsnäs from its plant in Pietarsaari as well as other import and export cargo from the region.

Start: January 2019

Nov 30
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New Silk Road: Closing The Gap To Great Britain Via Cuxhaven

By 2018 Newsletter week 48

China’s mega project, the New Silk Road, is to intensify international trade between Asia and Europe in the long term through a stronger infrastructure. The project also offers new opportunities for the Port of Cuxhaven. Due to the increasing demand in the United Kingdom for goods from China, DFDS has now established the last link of the transport chain between Great Britain and China via Cuxhaven. DFDS organises and carries out the onward road transport to the Cuxport terminal of goods arriving from China in Hamburg by rail, as well as the following sea transport from Cuxhaven to Immingham.

Nov 30
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Marseille Fos Set To Offer LNG Bunkering

By 2018 Newsletter week 48

Work is underway for the imminent provision of LNG bunkering facilities at Marseille Fos following a feasibility study initiated by the port authority.

In late 2017 the authority set up a working group to examine relevant logistical options for supporting the promotion of LNG as an environmentally friendly marine fuel.  The group included interested shipowners, the managers of the two LNG terminals in Fos – Elengy and Fosmax LNG – and supplier Total Marine Fuels Global Solutions.

A master plan developed earlier this year detailed the investment schedule and possible operational methods that would enable implementation within a short time frame, with two solutions confirmed as feasible:

  • the rapid development of refuelling facilities via trucks, which initially would serve ferries and then continue as an option if refuelling vessels were unavailable.
  • putting one or more refuelling vessels in place to serve cruise, ferry and container vessels

Preparations have now started with this timescale in mind.  Fosmax LNG is investing to adapt its Fos Cavaou terminal to receive small LNG refuelling carriers from next summer in a service offering 50 slots per year.  Meanwhile Elengy is planning an extension at the Fos Tonkin terminal that will provide 100 loading slots per year for small refuelling vessels from 2021.