Africa Morocco Link marks Stena Line’s venture into expansion beyond Europe

By | 2024 Newsletter week 15 | No Comments

Ferry company Africa Morocco Link gets new owners:

  • Attica Holdings S.A. sells 49% to Stena Line Holding B.V.
  • Bank of Africa sells 51% of its shares to Compagnie de Transports au Maroc (CTM)

Remarks

  • Both Bank Of Africa and CTM, are entities belonging to O Capital Group, owned by Mr Othman Benjelloun.
  • The ships Morocco Star and Highspeed 3, owned by subsidiaries of Attica Group, are included in the transaction.
  • Attica: The total consideration amounts to €49m and the net profit is expected to exceed €21m.
  • Competitor DFDS entered the Strait of Gibraltar market on 10 January 2024 buy acquiring FRS.
  • AML was founded in 2016 by Attica Group and Bank of Africa.

Sources:

Press release Attica

Press release Stena

Press release CTM (in French)

P&O PIONEER is in Europe, on her way to the Channel

By | 2023 Newsletter week 12 | No Comments
  • New OSK-Shiptech designed hybrid ferry P&O PIONEER Docks at DP World Limassol for bunkering.
  • She is set to be the world’s largest Hybrid double-ended ferry and is expected to cut fuel usage on the Dover-Calais crossing by 40%, delivering a major carbon emission saving, says the P&O press release.
  • The berthing, bunkering and marine services will be carried at the terminal by DP World Limassol, Unifeeder and P&O Maritime Cyprus

CLDN’s CELINE, the biggest shortsea ro-ro arrived in Europe

By | 2017 Newsletter week 43 | No Comments

CLdN is deploying the brand new ro-ro vessel CELINE on the Rotterdam – Zeebrugge – Dublin connection. The ship with a capacity of almost 8,000 lane meter, is the biggest ro-ro vessel on a shortsea route. Next year, sistership DELPHINE will join.

CLdN CELINE arrived in Zeebrugge on Saturday October 21, after a 42-day delivery trip from Korea. She docked at the Albert II dock in Zeebrugge, where C.Ro Ports has taken a new terminal into use to consolidate all the non-UK freight. The Brittaniadock is now strictly used for UK-related loads.

CELINE is deployed on CLdN’s route between Dublin, Ireland and Zeebrugge. The rotation of the ship is: Dublin – Zeebrugge – Rotterdam – Zeebrugge – Dublin. A round trip includes Zeebrugge twice. The first time for unloading, the second time for loading.

The ship arrived in Rotterdam on Tuesday, October 24, from where she started her regular schedule.

Photo CELINE in Zeebrugge for the first time © Mike Louagie

One more ferry veteran to operate on Red Sea route

By | 2017 Newsletter week 40 | No Comments

Former Bass Strait ro-pax BRIDGE (built in 1976 as BASS TRADER and known in Europe as MERCEDES DEL MAR, Iscomar, and BLUE BRIDGE, Blue Ferries) has left Albania, bound for Port Said. Her new name, DUBA BRIDGE, says it all about her new role. As many other European ferry veterans, she will operate on the Duba (Saudi-Arabia) – Safaga (Egypt) Red Sea route.

Photo © Neven Jerkovic

The hull of the first E-ferry arrived at the Søby Shipyard

By | 2017 Newsletter week 40 | No Comments

Denmark’s first new 100% electric, 59,5m-long ferry, Ærøfærgerne’s ELLEN, arrived from Stettin in Poland, at the Søby Shipyard for completion.
Τhe objective of the E-ferry project is to demonstrate that a 100% electric, emission free, medium sized ferry can transport passengers, cars and trucks on longer distances than previously seen.
The ferry is designed for medium-range connections such as Søby – Fynshav (10.7 nm) and Søby – Faaborg (9.6 nm), but ranges of more than 20 nm are realistic.

Photo © Søby Shipyard

30 organisations ask Europe to invest more in transport 

By | 2017 Newsletter week 39 | No Comments

With the slogan “More EU budget for transport, the best investment plan for Europe” a coalition of thirty European transport organisations launched a campaign for a strong connecting Europe Facility for the next financial period 2021-2028. 

“We are very pleased to see that 30 transport organisations, covering all modes and nodes, service providers, users and cargo owners are supporting this plea for a strong financial support for the completion of the TEN-T network. 750 billion euro is needed to complete the TEN-T core network. We all know that transport projects with a high societal return do not always generate the necessary return on investment. We also believe that CEF support is the best guarantee to deliver high EU added value and responsible grant management”, says ESPO’s Secretary General Isabelle Ryckbost, who presented the campaign on behalf of the Coalition at the Connecting Europe Conference on 21 and 22 September in Tallinn.