Jean-Pierre Fabre sent us this photograph of VIZZAVONA, Corsica Linea’s newest addition to the fleet. The picture was taken on June 18, when the vessel sailed to Ajaccio for the first time.
Photo: Jean-Pierre Fabre
On June 20, Baleària celebrated 20 years of its successful betting on energy efficiency, digitalization, international expansion and the assumption of the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations, as a road map to achieve economic, social and environmental sustainability.
The shipping company, which currently operates in five countries, with 21 routes and 21 public service contracts, has a fleet of 30 ferries and fast ferries. Baleària transported a total of 3,700,000 passengers in 2017.
Expansion in international markets is one of the strategic points. Currently one on four passengers is international. Baleària is present in five countries, operates four international routes, with more than 880,000 passengers. International lines account for 20% of the turnover.
1) North Africa: Algeciras – Tangier, Almeria – Nador, València – Mostaganem.
2) United States – The Bahamas.
Baleària has two LNG-powered ferries on order. It has put an LNG-powered generator on ABEL MATUTES and it has the intention to convert several ships to LNG.
Seatruck Ferries will deploy larger ferries on the Warrenpoint – Heysham route.
The Seatruck owned SEATRUCK PRECISION and SEATRUCK PERFORMANCE will be the new ships. They are on charter to Stena Line since 2012, and are working on the Irish Sea routes from Belfast. The Flensburg built vessels will provide space for an extra 30 units per sailing due to their extra 4th deck. They will replace the three-deck shipsThe new ships will commence towards the end August / early September.Stena Line will have to introduce other tonnage as replacement.
As the shipping industry continues its push to reduce emissions to air, DNV GL announced a new class notation for exhaust gas cleaning systems. The new notation, Emission Reduction (ER), will cover not only scrubbers for removing SOx, but selective catalytic reduction (SCR) and exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) systems for removing NOx.
In a strategic move, the well-known designer group has now included a number of people of its team as partners, and also brought on board a strategic business partner, Swedish investment company AB Max Sievert.
The EU-funded E-ferry project will soon see the launch of the 100 % electric, emission-free, medium-sized ferry for passengers and cars, trucks and cargo. She has been named ELLEN, and is in the final stage of finishing at the Søby Yard.
The peak charging power of the E-ferry battery pack and its shore charging connection will be up to 4 MW. ELLEN will be able to cover distances of over 20 NM. She will be put into operation on the routes between Soeby-Fynshav (10.7 NM) and Soeby-Faaborg (9.6 NM) in the Danish part of the Baltic Sea, connecting the island of Ærø to the mainland.
Photos: Peter Therkildsen
New Ferry Port In Sandefjord
Fjord Line has signed an agreement with paint manufacturer Jotun, for the use of the Vindal site as new terminal for in the port of Sandefjord, Norway. Vindal is an area on the “West Island” or “Vesterøy”. With a growth of 15% per year and the use of one or two ferries as from 2020, the company was looking for a port solution.
On the site, a terminal building, quays, parking spaces for private cars and trucks will be built. In and around a lot of attention will go to green areas. The port will also be available to other companies, such as competitor Color Line. The port will be organized as a separate company in the Fjord Line group. “Other shipping companies can purchase services of this port company on normal and transparent commercial terms,” says Fjord Line’s CEO Rickard Ternblom.
The new ferry harbour and terminal should be ready before 2025.
ICG Concludes An Additional €80 Million Financing Facility With The European Investment Bank
Irish Continental Group PLC has concluded an additional financing facility with the European Investment Bank. It comprises a committed €80 million drawing limit and is available for drawing during July 2018. Repayments are on an amortising basis over a 12-year term.
The facility will be used to finance the construction of the second new vessel for Irish Ferries.
BC Ferries published its annual report for the fiscal year 2018, which ends on 31 March 2018.
- BC Ferries released its year-end results with consolidated net earnings of $59.9 million for fiscal 2018.
- Highest passenger traffic levels in 20 years and the highest levels of vehicle traffic ever.
- Focus on fare affordability. No increases to vehicle and passenger fares across almost all routes.
- By the start of fiscal 2019 (April 1, 2018), the fares on almost all routes were reduced by 15%.
- Due to current world fuel market conditions, the company will remove the fuel rebates currently in place on June 27, 2018.
- BC Ferries provided over 174,000 sailings, 2,962 more round trips than required under the Coastal Ferry Services Contract and 1,190 more round trips compared to the prior year.
