The objective of the company is to operate a passenger terminal for sole use and a parking for vehicles, which would be located along the Adossat pier, beyond the point where the big cruise ships berth.
Next year the Spanish company will introduce two LNG-powered newbuildings.
Source: Logi News (in Spanish)
- One of ferry operator CalMac’s longest serving vessels is retiring from west coast service. RAASAY served the Sconser to Raasay route for 21 years from her launch in 1976 until increased traffic from the island made her unsuitable. She was the last of eight ‘Island class’ ferries launched and is capable of carrying six cars and up to 75 passengers. RAASAY has now been handed back to owner Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) who are expected to announce a buyer for the vessel shortly.
- FRS-owned AL ANDALUS EXPRESS, former NORD PAS-DE-CALAIS, has been chartered to ARMAS. She is needed as a replacement for a number of drydockings.
- Ro-pax ferry ANDREAS KALVOS from Zante Ferries has been sold to Kefalonian Lines.
- Ro-pax IONIAN SKY, laid up since a very long time, has been sold at auction to a Cypriot company.
- The Kiel – Oslo ferry COLOR MAGIC got fined because of a multiple breach of the sulphur regulations. The measurements were done in Denmark, on the Great Belt Bridge. Color Line does not agree with the fine (of NOK 600,000) and filed a complaint. Apparently technical issues were at the basis of the problem, like malfunctioning exhaust analysers and a lack of water intake due to obstructions caused by shells.
- Irish Ferries’ JONATHAN SWIFT is to be renamed CECILIA PAYNE for Baleària. She will enter service on June 1, between Denia and Ibiza – Palma.
First of three Torghatten LNG ferries launched in Turkey
Watch the video of the launch of the first of a series of three LNG-electric ro-pax ferries under construction in the Turkish shipyard of Tersan.
The ships will be used on Halhjem-Sandvikvåg in Western Norway.
Torghatten Nord also has two other identical vessels being built at the Norwegian shipyard Vard Brevik. All are designed by Multi-Maritime.
The global LNG market has continued to defy expectations, growing by 29 million tonnes in 2017, according to Shell’s latest LNG Outlook. Based on current demand projections, Shell sees potential for a supply shortage developing in the mid-2020s, unless new LNG production project commitments are made soon.
The Shell LNG Outlook, now in its second year, highlights key trends in 2017 and focuses on future global supply and demand, and can be downloaded below.
Photo: Mike Louagie
Port of Marseille Fos set to build on 2017 growth
From the many 2017 figures from Port of Marseille Fos we highlight the ones relevant for the ferry industry.
- An 11% increase in ro-ro volumes – led by 202,000 trailers on Corsica and North Africa trades.
- Passenger carryings on Corsica and North Africa ferry services rose 7% to 1.2 million.
- New project expenditure included €14.6m to enlarge the Marseille harbour area’s Passe Nord access for cruise and ferry vessels, a €2.5m ferry terminal upgrade and the €2.3m installation of an 800-tonne capacity project cargo ro-ro ramp in Fos – the largest in France.
- Environmental initiatives, including further ‘cold ironing’ facilities for ferries, reduced port dues for ‘green’ vessels under the Environmental Ship Index and membership of the LNG Focus Group – following the MoU signed last July – under which major world ports are working to promote LNG as a marine fuel.
Ro-pax VISBORG, under construction in China, will be powered by LNG. Destination Gotland signed a contract with Nauticor, which will supply LNG via its sister company AGA that operates the Linde Group’s LNG terminal in Nynäshamn.
Located in Hamburg, Nauticor GmbH & Co. KG is a leading provider of LNG as marine fuel.
Balearia is prepared to wait for La Naval’s resurrection
Deia writes that Balearia did not cancel the contract with LaNaval for a 1+1 newbuilding order, after the yard went bankrupt. The order is now frozen pending talks with investors.
The president of Balearia, Adolfo Utor, was at the International Tourism Fair of Madrid (FITUR) to present the two LNG ro-pax ferries currently being built by Visentini.
The first vessel, the HYPATIA DE ALEJANDRÍA is expected to enter service in early 2019. The second will be named MARIE CURIE. The names are a tribute to two scientific women which are important in the history of humanity.
Both vessels are earmarked for the Balearic Islands.
Capacity: 810 passengers + 2,180 lane meters of cargo + 150 cars
Baleària’s has already done some pioneering work by converting one auxiliary engine on ABEL MATUTES into an LNG engine. The company has the intention to re-motorize other ships in the fleet.
Watch the video presentation (2:31)
TOTE’s Alaska subsidiary has contracted with MAN Diesel & Turbo to carry out the conversion of two ro-ros to run on LNG.
NORTH STAR and MIDNIGHT SUN will be retrofitted with first works starting at the end of this year at the Victoria Shipyard in British Columbia.
Photo: Pictured at MAN Diesel & Turbo’s Headquarter in Augsburg (from left): Stefan Eefting – Senior Vice President and Head of MAN PrimeServ Augsburg; Peter Keller – Executive Vice President of TOTE; Per Rud – Senior Vice President and Head of After Sales – Marine & Power Plants
When Brittany Ferries takes delivery of HONFLEUR in 2019, she will be the first passenger ship in the world to be equipped with on board cranes that allow standard-size 40 feet LNG containers to be lifted into a fixed position.
These containers will be transported by truck to Ouistreham from an LNG terminal at Dunkerque. Driven on board, they will be hoisted into position alongside a fixed LNG storage tank located at the rear of the superstructure. Upon the next call at port, empty containers will be returned to waiting trucks by crane and replenished with full units.
“Refuelling infrastructure is key to the uptake of cleaner fuels like LNG, throughout the transport sector,” said Christophe Mathieu, Brittany Ferries CEO. “But we cannot wait for widespread storage in ports to deliver the next generation of cleaner vessels. Our team has addressed this problem in an innovative way.”
HONFLEUR will operate alongside Brittany Ferries’ MONT ST MICHEL on three daily return sailings, between Ouistreham and Portsmouth.
