Bunker Rating Tool Brings Transparency in the Bunkers Industry
DFDS has begun to use BunkerTrust, a service which allows shipping companies to judge and view other people’s ratings of suppliers and bunkers.
Today, about 250 ships rate their bunkers deliveries on a regular basis via BunkerTrust, and DFDS is among the 23 shipowners using the platform.
DFDS To Take Over the Ro-Ro Service from Turkish Company Alternative Transport
Alternative Transport is experiencing financial difficulties. The Turkish company announced to stop operating the route between Sète, France and Cesme, Turkey. To assure its continuation, DFDS will start to run the route as from 1 July.
The route represents 20,000 to 25,000 trucks a year.
DFDS will test the route for six months, with two sailings a week.
Two 310-unit vessels will be put on the route.
It also means Toulon will lose one of the three weekly calls.
Alternative Transport operated two ships: FADIQ and AYSHE. The first is still sailing on the route. The latter is in Perama.
DFDS is developing and testing drones that can help us keep track of the trailers in the terminals in cooperation with Lorenz Technology, a Danish company developing drones based on Artificial Intelligence (AI).
The drones can autonomously zip around the terminal locating trailers, scanning and analysing trailer numbers, while integrating a real-time data flow to terminal management systems. This data can help terminal staff with different tasks, including precise location of trailers and improved weight management when loading ferries for increased operating efficiency.
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DFDS Opens New Route Between Zeebrugge and Gothenburg for Stora Enso
9 May, DFDS and Stora Enso have entered into a 5-year agreement to annually carry around 700,000 tons of paper and board products between Gothenburg and Zeebrugge.
To accommodate the volumes of the agreement, DFDS will open a route between Gothenburg, Sweden, and Zeebrugge, Belgium.
The new route will be operated by three ro-ro ferries. Two ro-ro ferries – SLINGEBORG and SCHIEBORG – will be acquired for DKK 270m. These vessels were originally designed for the route, and for this cargo. They were chartered by Stora Enso and operated by SOL Continent Line since November 2014. The ships will no longer be available to SOL Continent Line, which means that the SOL service between Gothenburg and Zeebrugge will end on 17 June, 2019. (read the SOL press release here)
DFDS will also transfer one ro-ro from DFDS’ existing route between Gothenburg and Ghent that currently deploys four freight ferries.
The new Zeebrugge-Gothenburg route is expected to begin operating mid-June, 2019.
Stora Enso has the option to extend the agreement with three year.
DFDS and the pension fund investor PensionDanmark signed an agreement to build a new head office for DFDS in Copenhagen.
It will be built at Marmorvej near the Copenhagen – Oslo route’s terminal.
The new headquarters will give the opportunity to gather all head-office staff and functions in the same building, and at the same time offer great and modern facilities.
The new head office will be constructed by PensionDanmark and rented by DFDS.
It will be a building offering six floors and 12,500 square meters for 700 people with offices, meeting rooms, fitness facilities, car and bike parking and a big auditorium, among other things.
DFDS plans to move in 2021.
In Q1, revenue increased 11% to DKK 3.9bn driven by the expansion in the Mediterranean and stockpiling in UK ahead of the initial Brexit-date end of March. The Easter timing difference vs 2018 lowered passenger revenue.
EBITDA before special items increased 13% to DKK 677m driven by the Mediterranean expansion and strong performance in North Sea.
Baltic Sea’s result was lowered by one-off additional operating costs as capacity was maintained during dockings, one of which was extended. In addition, the Easter timing difference reduced passenger earnings compared to Q1 2018, especially in the Passenger business unit.
Logistics continued to improve performance in UK & Ireland. In Sweden and Belgium earnings were lower as Q1 2018 included peak earnings from a large contract.
The first in a series of six new freight ferries was delivered in February and successfully deployed in March between Istanbul and Trieste.
2019 EBITDA outlook unchanged: DKK 3.8-4.0bn (2018: DKK 3.6bn, restated)
Key figures Q1 2019
Outlook 2019 Unchanged
DFDS is investing in the biofuel producer MASH Energy. The company produces biofuel from agricultural waste in Tanzania.
DFDS signed an agreement to an investment of up to DKK 10 million, which will be made in three stages and eventually make DFDS a 24% shareholder of the company.
The third DFDS freight ferry from China had not been outside the dry dock for long before the site team and construction crew started the construction of our fourth newbuilding.
March 27, the traditional keel-laying ceremony took place at the Jinling Shipyard to officially celebrate the start of construction of the fourth DFDS freight ferry. In line with Chinese tradition, a coin was placed under the keel and this time Chief Engineer Matti Thomsen was given the honour of sealing it as a symbol of luck throughout the construction process and while at sea.
The fourth freight ferry is expected to be delivered in the last quarter of 2019.
DFDS says extra sailings as part of Department for Transport Brexit deal are on schedule.
Niels Smedegaard has decided to step down as CEO of DFDS at the end of April.
Torben Carlsen (photo), who joined DFDS as a member of the Executive Board and CFO in 2009, is appointed new CEO.
