Tag

Brittany Ferries

Aug 17
Love2

Brittany Ferries to become majority shareholder of Condor Ferries

By 2024 Newsletter week 33

Brittany Ferries is to become the majority owner of Condor Ferries following recent changes in the ownership structure. (see also Ferry Shipping News, week 32)  

Condor Ferries is the passenger and freight ferry operator between the UK (Poole, Portsmouth), the Channel Islands and St. Malo in France. Condor was originally acquired in November 2019 by a consortium comprising Brittany Ferries and the London-based Columbia Threadneedle European Sustainable Infrastructure Fund. 

Subject to approval by the regulatory authorities in Jersey and Guernsey, the French ferry operator will assume majority ownership and operational control of the Channel Islands-based company in the next few weeks. 

In January this year, the Government of Jersey and States of Guernsey confirmed a procurement process for a new long-term operating agreement. Brittany Ferries is actively leading this bid and believes it and Condor are the right operators, with the right vessels and experience, to serve the Islands for many years to come. 

Once approved, Brittany Ferries will own 51% of Condor Ferries, with Columbia Threadneedle retaining a minority shareholding. 

Aug 09
Love2

Brittany Ferries is looking to become the majority stakeholder of Condor Ferries

By 2024 Newsletter week 32

The Jersey Competition Regulatory Authority (JCRA) issued a notice of application for approval of a transaction regarding the sale of 22% of the shares in Condor to Brittany Ferries, with the option to buy 100% of the shares at a later date. 

Brittany Ferries (B.A.I. Bretagne Angleterre Irlande) already has a 29% stake in Condor. If the deal is approved, it will take it to 51%. 

Christophe Matthieu, Brittany Ferries’ CEO, is currently CEO ad interim at Condor Ferries. 

The deadline for comments is 20 August 2024. Details can be found here: JCRA (pdf)   

May 17
Love2

Brittany Ferries renews its partnership with the École Nationale Supérieure Maritime (ENSM)

By 2024 Newsletter week 20

Brittany Ferries and ENSM are strengthening their long-standing collaboration to boost the maritime economy. By renewing their partnership, they aim to reinforce their relationship and create strong synergies aligned with their mutual values and ambitions.

Key initiatives include:

  • “School in ship” sessions, offering ENSM students real navigation experience aboard Brittany Ferries vessels. In 2023, 55 students participated.
  • Educational visits for ENSM teachers to enhance their skills through onboard exchanges.
  • Opportunities for Brittany Ferries officers to teach at ENSM.

The partnership renewal was signed on 13th May in Saint-Malo.

Jan 26
Love1

Brittany Ferries improves fuel efficiency of flagship

By 2024 Newsletter week 04

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

Nov 24
Love0

One Season on the Seas, One Season on the Mountains

By 2023 Newsletter week 47

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.

Oct 27
Love0

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

By 2023 Newsletter week 43

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.

Sep 29
Love0

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

By 2023 Newsletter week 39

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.

Jun 23
Love0

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

By 2023 Newsletter week 25

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.

Jun 16
Love0

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

By 2023 Newsletter week 24

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.

Jun 09
Love0

Brand new MOBY FANTASY arrived in Italy

By 2023 Newsletter week 23

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.