On Friday, 22 February, Peder Gellert (Executive Vice President with responsibility for DFDS’ Ferry Division) celebrated his 25th anniversary with DFDS.
The newest addition to the DFDS fleet, GOTHIA SEAWAYS, arrived on 23 February at the Port of Pendik in Turkey. She will be set in service from 9 March with an expected arrival on 11 March in Trieste.
The freight ferry will soon be taken to the GEMAK Shipyard to get a rebranding and a name change followed by an official naming ceremony early March.
As from 11 March, five trains per week will call at the DFDS terminal, to drop and pick-up trucks and containers.
DFDS has 8 freight ferries per week between Ghent and Gothenburg. The idea is to put more freight southward bound on trains.
In the meanwhile, the DFDS ro-ro terminal in Ghent is getting a facelift, with a new office building, and fully automated gates.
Ghent is one of the North Sea Ports (Ghent, Terneuzen, Vlissingen).
DFDS is upbeat on its prospects for 2019 following last year’s strong financial performance, expecting growth thanks to the arrival of new freight ferry capacity and renewed prospects for its increasingly important Mediterranean operations since the “reset in Turkey”.
DFDS’ Biggest Ro-Ro Ferry Ever Enters The Fleet
On 31 January Henrik Tidblad, Director of Fleet Management DFDS, concluded that the necessary documents had been exchanged and that the Jinling yard had safely received payment.
This means the first of six 6,700 lane metre ferries is soon ready to be deployed on the Turkey-Trieste route.
DFDS still has to announce her official name.
The entry of the first vessel in service will most probably create reshuffles on other routes.
On the picture: the entire DFDS team that handled the delivery. Front row, second from the left: Henrik Tidblad, Jesper Aagesen, Jens-Peter Baltsersen and Ole Færge. (source and photo DFDS News)
Peder Gellert, DFDS Executive Vice President and Head of the Ferry Division, announced that it has been decided to change the name of the Shipping Division to the Ferry Division.
“It is difficult for people who do not know our industry well to understand the nature of our business more precisely if we are described by the general term ‘shipping’. It will emphasise our important role for travel and trade and even for nations, such as when the UK government relies on our network to ensure the supply of critical goods in case of a no-deal Brexit.”
“However, it makes no sense to use the name Ferry Division unless we refer to our ships as ferries. This means that we will now start using the term ferry for our ships.
In the Ferry Division, we operate ferries: freight ferries, cruise ferries and, passenger and freight ferries.”
Adopting the name will be a gradual process.
DFDS Reached New All-Time High Result In 2018
DFDS can look back on a very strong 2018 and growth is set to continue in 2019 on the back of the recent expansion of U.N. RoRo in the Mediterranean.
The company will shortly introduce the first of the Chinese freight ferries. The expanded capacity will support their customers’ growth.
DFDS is also feeling confident being ready for their customers with whatever the Brexit outcome will be.
+13% Q4 revenue DKK 4.0bn
+20% Q4 EBITDA DKK 688m
+10% Full-year revenue DKK 15.7bn
+11% Full-year EBITDA DKK 3.0bn
The Port of Felixstowe and DFDS have agreed to increase ro-ro capacity at the UK port by over 40% through investment in a new linkspan, tractor units and additional trailer parking facilities.
Cross-Channel Firms Challenge UK Brexit Ferry Decisions
The CEOs of Eurotunnel and Port of Calais have objected to the emergency contracts awarded by the UK government to Brittany Ferries, DFDS and Seaborne Freight to provide additional ro-ro capacity in the event of a ‘no-deal’ Brexit, threatening to take legal action.
DFDS has released this aerial photo of the first Chinese ro-ro undergoing sea trials.
She and her sister are to be used on the Turkish/Mediterranean routes.
