The decision to install a new Board at the state-owned ferry operator Jadrolinija still hasn’t been taken. CEO Alan Klanac’s four-year mandate expired already in May but has been extended.
Croatian sources report that up to twenty candidates were in the running to replace Mr Klanac.
Jadrolinija is in an important phase of its history, with several routes being tendered out to other operators, and with the need to renew tonnage.
Tallink Grupp has revealed the new look of its two customer brands Tallink and Silja Line. The logos of the two individual brands will remain the same, the changes made focusing rather on a more modern look and feel of the group’s digital channels, marketing and campaign materials and wider visuals.
The new visual identity will be gradually rolled out across the group over the next 12 months.
Stena Line launched a two-month coffee campaign to support the Mercy Ships charity, in their efforts to deliver free, world-class health care to people in need in the developing world.
A key part of the campaign will see Stena Line customers being given the opportunity to choose to buy coffee or tea in a special Mercy Ships mug, where 20 eurocent will be donated directly to Mercy Ships.
The number of ro-ro units shipped in Gothenburg during H1 totalled 291,000 (+7%), and 137,000 new cars were exported or imported (+14%). The latter is largely due to the success of Volvo.
Mainly the ro-ro trade between Sweden and Belgium is going from strength to strength. On August 17, DFDS added a 4th vessel –ARK GERMANIA– on the route to Ghent. This brings the number of DFDS departures each week to eight in both directions.
The Port of Gothenburg now has 20 calls by vessels from Belgium each week, operated by DFDS, CLdN and SOL Continent.
Red Funnel should be allowed to bulldoze its existing terminal, nearby buildings and properties in Cowes, Isle of Wight. The Court’s decision came after an appeal against Isle of Wight Council refusal.
Red Funnel wants to build a much-needed, modern ferry terminal. East-Cowes suffers from lack of space, with traffic congestion as a result.
The first idea was to add houses, retail and a hotel, but Red Funnel had to scale down the plan. The company said a new terminal layout will be presented end of September.
Environmental NGO ‘Robin des Bois,’ founded in France in 1985, published its Q2 report about shipbreaking.
From the five ‘recycled’ ferries two are well-known European veterans.
ATLAS is the former GELTING SYD, STELLA SCARLET (Meyer Werft, 1974).
SVETI STEFAN II will best be remembered as the PRINS HAMLET, operating on Hamburg-Harwich. She was built in Rendsburg in 1973. She later operated for DFDS, Stena Line and Polferries, before going to the Adriatic Sea for Montenegro Lines.
A well-known ro-ro who ended up on the beach of Aliaga is the former NORKING, BORE KING, built in 1980. She operated a long time for P&O and North Sea Ferries.
A steel cutting ceremony was held at the AVIC Weihai Shipyard in China on August 25. It marks the start of the construction of the first of four 3,100-lane-metre, 1,000-passenger, 175-cabin vessels ordered by Stena, all to be delivered in 2019-2020. Stena has an option for 4 more.
Driven by a strong growth in freight, Stena Line decided to add a 4th ship on its Sweden – Poland route. GUTE started to operate on Monday August 28.
The small, 865-lane-metre vessel is time-chartered from Gotlandsbolaget. Freight-only, she will be a complement to ro-pax ferries STENA VISION, STENA SPIRIT and STENA BALTICA
With the Q2 report, Fjord Line confirmed the year-on-year growth trend.
The company increased revenues with 30% and EBITDA with 112%.
Passenger volumes were up by 13% and freight volumes up by 25%.
The routes Hirtshals (Denmark) – Langesund (Norway, southeast of Oslo) and Sandefjord (Norway) – Strømstad (Sweden) were responsible for a significant increase in freight volumes (respectively 37% and 39%). The same routes also saw an increase in passengers per crossing.
In Q2 the high-speed vessel FJORD CAT suffered some technical issues, with 3 weeks of cancellations. Result: the growth on the Hirtshals – Kristiansand route did not materialize.
Irish Continental Group (ICG), the Irish-based maritime transport group, reported a solid financial performance for the half year ended 30 June 2017.
Growth in revenue went up 3.7% to €156.1, in what is seasonally its less profitable half year period.
The strong performance is underpinned by increased car volumes and the consolidation of the strong ro-ro growth over the last two years in the ferries division.
Irish Ferries carried 174,500 cars (+2.3%) and 700,400 passengers (+1.7%)
Ro-ro freight volumes went a little down: 138,600 units (-0.4%).
In H1 ICG sold ro-pax KAITAKI (ISLE OF INNISFREE) to Toll Shipping, and now the company is looking forward to the arrival in mid-2018 of the new ship, which will bring cost savings and additional earnings potential.
