Brittany Ferries improves fuel efficiency of flagship

By | 2024 Newsletter week 04 | No Comments

At her recent dry-dock at Remontowa, Gdańsk, the hull of Brittany Ferries’ PONT-AVEN was lengthened by three metres at the stern waterline.  This is often referred to as a duck-tail.

The purpose of the modification is to improve the hydrodynamic performance of the vessel.  This will reduce the drag on her hull, reducing fuel consumption by around 10% and therefore emissions.  The work follows analysis by the Chantiers de l’Atlantique design office where various ideas were looked at, followed by tests on the favoured concept using a 7-metre scale model of the PONT-AVEN

Additionally, Brittany Ferries is working with Wärtsilä to examine improving the propeller design of PONT-AVEN.  This could lead to a further reduction in fuel consumption of around 5%.

Meanwhile, Bureau Veritas Solutions Marine & Offshore (BV Solutions M&O) has developed and delivered a ‘Fleet Energy and Emissions Forecast‘ tool to Brittany Ferries.  The tool enables the ferry company’s onboard teams to plan for optimised and efficient operations, thereby reducing fuel consumption, emissions, and costs.

Photo: Brittany Ferries

One Season on the Seas, One Season on the Mountains

By | 2023 Newsletter week 47 | No Comments

Brittany Ferries and Pôle Emploi Bretagne have launched an innovative initiative to secure seasonal employment called “One Season on the Seas, One Season on the Mountains.” The partnership was formalized through a signed agreement on November 21, 2023, with representatives Jean-Luc Vigouroux, Director of Human Resources at Brittany Ferries, and Frédéric Sévignon, Regional Director of Pôle Emploi Bretagne.

The initiative aims to facilitate and secure seasonal employment in Brittany and Haute-Savoie (ski resorts). This unique program in France offers a tailored path for seasonal workers, allowing them to work a season with Brittany Ferries followed by a winter season in the mountains before returning the following year. This approach addresses the challenges of capturing and retaining seasonal resources in the hospitality sector.

Brittany Ferries: summer passenger and freight figures (June – September)

By | 2023 Newsletter week 43 | No Comments

Passenger numbers (all markets): a return to growth.

2019= 1,259,587 pax (pre-Covid comparison year)

2022= 1,046,761 pax

2023= 1,090,254 pax

Freight numbers (all markets): a systemic downward trend.

2019= 59,057 freight units (pre-Covid comparison year)

2022= 50,868 freight units

2023= 48,114 freight units

Comments by Christophe Mathieu CEO Brittany Ferries

“These are encouraging passenger figures, reflecting our first post-Covid year operating all ships, from all ports. This year will deliver a positive economic result and our new ships lead the sector on comfort, accessibility, and lower emissions.”

 “While the majority of freight is carried outside the summer months, the summer trend for freight reflects an overall decline in volumes. This is particularly worrying on eastern Channel routes, where we have been hit by over-capacity on short sea routes such as Dover/Calais. The ensuing price war has led to a year-on-year decline of around 6%. That’s for services operating from our eastern ports of Le Havre, Caen, and Cherbourg. Compared with 2019, the figures are even more challenging, down by around 30%.”

Christophe Mathieu CEO Brittany Ferries

Positive Growth:

  • Roscoff-Cork Voyages: Twice-weekly return voyages between Roscoff and Cork have boosted passenger numbers during the summer.
  • France-Ireland Services: Overall, volumes on France-Ireland services have risen by 60% compared to 2019. Year-on-year (2023 vs. 2022) increase is 11%.
  • Rosslare-Bilbao Service: The service has reported significant growth, with 20,000 more travelers year-on-year. This represents a 155% increase, and it is attributed to a new cruise-ferry powered by cleaner LNG.

Success in Regional Development:

  • Bilbao-Rosslare Route: The gamble on this route has paid off, achieving its objectives. It contributes to regional development and environmental benefits, reducing the number of lorries on the roads and increasing car passengers on ferries.

Mixed Performance:

  • UK Routes to Brittany and Normandy: Year-on-year growth (2023 vs. 2022) reported, but numbers are still below pre-Covid 2019 figures. Brittany performed better with a 15% decline compared to a 25% decline for Normandy.
  • UK/Spain Routes: After growth last year, these routes returned to 2019 levels, showing a small increase. This achievement was accompanied by greater operational efficiency and reduced emissions, despite one less return sailing per week.

Overall, the data reflects a mix of positive growth and challenges in various routes and regions served by Brittany Ferries.

Brittany Ferries’ mantra: the competitive distortion, particularly on freight services offered on eastern ports of Cherbourg, Caen and Le Havre.

Brittany Ferries announces the use of the inflatable wing sail prototype Wisamo on Ro-Ro PELICAN

By | 2023 Newsletter week 39 | No Comments

The crew of the PELICAN is set to use the inflatable wing sail prototype Wisamo (Wing Sails Mobility) by the Michelin Group, starting this week. The wing is expected to be utilized for 6 to 8 hours during a 30-hour crossing. The Wisamo inflatable sail is a 100 m² wing that was installed on the vessel in November 2022.

In April 2023, after a series of tests and adjustments, the Norwegian classification company DNV approved Michelin Group’s Wisamo sail system.

PELICAN, chartered by Brittany Ferries from Compagnie Maritime Nantaise, operates between Poole and Bilbao.

Brittany Ferries selected Rina’s Sertica as the preferred fleet management system

By | 2023 Newsletter week 25 | No Comments

Brittany Ferries has selected Rina’s Sertica as its new fleet management system.

A statement from the Italian group explains that the decision to implement Sertica followed an extensive evaluation by Brittany Ferries, in seeking a reliable and hosted fleet management solution. It is specifically designed to streamline and optimize maritime operations, by offering a wide range of features for maintenance, procurement and safety management. The system empowers fleet operators with the tools to enhance efficiency and ensure regulatory compliance.

By adopting Rina’s system, Brittany Ferries will replace multiple systems and reinforce its commitment to excellence and innovation in the maritime industry.

Repsol’s second LNG bunker terminal in Santander opens to fuel Brittany Ferries’ SANTOÑA

By | 2023 Newsletter week 24 | No Comments

Energy company Repsol has inaugurated its second LNG supply terminal. The inauguration took place in Santander Spain on 7th June and was attended by Repsol’s Executive Managing Director of Circular Economy and Industrial Transformation, Juan Abascal and Brittany Ferries’ CEO Christophe Mathieu.

The terminal comprises a cryogenic tank with a storage capacity of 1,000m3. It follows the opening of an LNG bunker facility in Bilbao last year. The two facilities are part of a collaboration agreement that Repsol signed with Brittany Ferries in 2019 for the supply of LNG for ships serving Spanish routes.

The new terminal is co-financed by the European Commission through the CEF-Connecting Europe Facilities Program.

By the end of the first year of operations, it is estimated its emissions of CO2 will have been cut by around 12,000 tons.

Brand new MOBY FANTASY arrived in Italy

By | 2023 Newsletter week 23 | No Comments

The impressive MOBY FANTASY recently delivered by China’s Guangzhou Shipyard successfully concluded its maiden voyage from the Far East to Europe.

Moby’s new flagship, under the command of Genoese captain Massimo Pinsolo, crossed two oceans and the Suez Canal before arriving in the Tyrrhenian Sea at the port of Livorno.

The huge Ro-Pax will be officially presented in Olbia on June 17, and start operating from late June on the Livorno – Olbia route.

With its 37m length, 32m width and a gross tonnage of 69,500 tons, MOBY FANTASY is the one of largest passenger ferries in the world. She has a capacity of 3,000 passengers and 3,850 lane metres.

The high sustainability standards also make it one of the most advanced and technologically sophisticated ferries with respect to environmental protection and emission reduction.

Brittany Ferries reports encouraging passenger volumes, but freight slump worsens

By | 2023 Newsletter week 23 | No Comments

Freight down:

  • Since Brexit, Brittany Ferries has seen a decline of around 1/5th in total freight volumes carried on the Channel.
  • This year (2023) the drop has worsened worryingly.
  • From the start of April, the company has averaged around 2,000 fewer freight units per month than expected. The equates to a drop of around 8% compared with last year.
  • Reason: over-capacity and a price war on short sea routes.

OUTLOOK: if this weaker pattern continues, estimates for year-end suggest 15% worse freight performance than originally projected.

Passenger up:

  • Passenger volumes for 2023 are encouraging, if not spectacular.
  • Volumes are significantly up on 2022, but still lag behind 2019 which was the last pre-Covid comparison year.
  • So far this year, Brittany Ferries has booked 1,504,274 passengers (those who have already travelled and those holding a forward reservation). That’s a 17.6% increase on the same period in 2022.
  • However, volumes are still down by nearly 15% compared with 2019, a deficit of around 270,000 passengers.
  • Looking at forward reservations for the high season (covering April – October), reservations have reached 1,224,120 passengers, compared with 1,097,724 for the same period in 2022. This is an increase of 126,396 passengers, or 12%.

OUTLOOK: for year-end the company is forecasting an 18% boost in total passenger numbers compared with 2022.

 In total 1.95 million passengers are forecast to have travelled with Brittany Ferries by the end of the year. This would be a positive result, but still around 100,000 fewer travellers than expected.

Source and details per route in this press release.

Brittany Ferries and William the Conqueror: it will happen in 2025

By | 2023 Newsletter week 18 | No Comments

Brittany Ferries has announced the name of its forthcoming hybrid ship, which will sail between Portsmouth and Caen: GUILLAUME DE NORMANDIE.

The name was confirmed at a press conference held in Caen, where Guillaume de Normandie (William the Conqueror) is buried.

She will join the Brittany Ferries fleet in May 2025, sailing alongside sister-ship SAINT-MALO.

GUILLAUME DE NORMANDIE will replace Brittany Ferries’ NORMANDIE, a loyal servant sailing since 1992.

Brittany Ferries: major contract extension for Telenor Maritime connectivity solutions

By | 2023 Newsletter week 17 | No Comments

Brittany Ferries has extended its contract with Telenor Maritime for connectivity of its fleet operating on routes between the UK, France, and Spain. The new contract expands the scope of services delivered by Telenor Maritime, enabling a more resilient network for ship to shore communications and a better experience for passengers, crew, and operations.

The combination of VSAT and mobile broadband backhauls with the new addition of low latency, high speed radio link backhauls will deliver higher quality, cost-effective wi-fi and mobile services for passengers, crew, operations, and business activities. Redundancy of this connectivity setup provides network stability, and in turn increases the level of cyber security for the networks on board.