The Metal Maritime union and DFDS have agreed on a negotiated solution for most employees on the two Oslo ferries. The agreement ensures that the ferries can continue to operate on this route, in spite of the Norwegian quarantine rules causing a decrease in passenger numbers. Regretfully, 26 servers will be redundant.
DFDS decided to become climate neutral by 2050 and is aiming for a relative reduction of Greenhouse Gas emissions by 25-35% (between 2019 and 2030).
Three key climate plan actions:
In 2019, the network emitted around two million tons of CO2 of which 90% was from ferries and the rest mainly from logistics operations.
Organisation Danish Shipping (Danske Rederier) has calculated that the total number of passengers for Scandlines, Fjord Line, ForSea and DFDS in June, July and August has largely been halved compared to the same period last year.
“The bad summer comes on top of a lost spring, and it would be naive to think that Danes, Germans, Swedes or Norwegians will start traveling as usual in the coming months. The situation at the borders is completely unpredictable, so the shipping companies are facing some challenging months, ”says Jacob K. Clasen, Deputy CEO.
At Scandlines, CEO Søren Poulsgaard Jensen believes that it is the border closure in particular that caused an impact.
Like other Danish ferry companies, Scandlines has used the government’s help packages to send employees home for salary compensation and help to cover fixed expenses. But the bad summer will still cost jobs in the shipping company, says Søren Poulsgaard Jensen to Søfart.
Dieppe-Newhaven Hit by Sudden English Quarantine Decision
“For the first time in the history of the route Dieppe-Newhaven, the volumes of August were lower than in July, with 1,000 less cars.”
DFDS decided to lay up one of the two ferries, and to reduce return crossings from 3 to 2.
Jean-Claude Charlo, director DFDS asks the politicians for help, on behalf of all ferry operators.
DFDS Started Direct Adriatic Route
DFDS started a direct link between Trieste and Patras (instead of a stopover in the Greek port on the route between Italy and Turkey).
In June, Grimaldi started a biweekly service Venice (Marghera)-Igoumenitsa-Patras.
FLANDRIA SEAWAYS, fifth DFDS mega freight ferry from Jinling Shipyard, was delivered on September 1st.
She will set sail on Friday 4 September and reach Vlaardingen (via Singapore and Suez) in late September. She is expected to begin operating between Vlaardingen and Immingham on October 5.
“We want to become climate neutral by 2050 and are aiming for a relative reduction of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions by close to 45% from 2008 to 2030.”
DFDS CEO Torben Carlsen
The first of two 4,500 lane metre DFDS ropax ferries was launched at Guangzhou Shipbuilding International in China. They are both set to operate on the Baltic routes.
DFDS Q2: Pickup in Demand Faster than Expected
Q2 2020
”Our outlook is improved. Freight volumes have picked up and the demand for ferry travel is encouraging on our reopened passenger routes. It is uncertain whether the pickup in demand is sustainable and we therefore remain alert,” says Torben Carlsen, CEO.
After having to lay up several ships, Godby Shipping announced new charters and deployments:
MISIDA to P&O Ferries, for Dublin-Liverpool, July-September
MIDAS to Wagenborg, for a new liner service Riga-Oxelösund. The main cargo is prefabricated construction elements for the Swedish building sector. (read Wagenborg’s press release)
MISANA and MISIDA have been chartered to Norwegian operator Sea-Cargo for delivery in August and October 2020. The contract is valid until end 2021 with options for Sea-Cargo to extend after that. The ships will be employed in Sea-Cargo liner service between Norway and continental Europe.
MISTRAL will start a new traffic in August. The charterer has asked to remain unnamed for the moment.
