Electric vehicles create a new challenge for the ferry industry, writes www.tu.no.
Drivers of electric cars would like to leave the ferry with full batteries. So far nobody offers this service but in this article DFDS and Stena Line are reported to work on solutions.
The big issue is safety. A car battery took fire on a DFDS ship in 2010, and since then the ferry industry had a very reluctant approach. However, both DFDS and Stena confirmed they are working on solutions to serve the customers’ needs.
When the temperature in a battery cell rises above a certain level, an unstoppable heat production will occur. A battery fire can be extinguished with water, but more water is needed than another fire. Also, getting the water to the very source of the fire is not easy.
At this year’s Gala CIO Awards 2017 in Sweden, Stena Line was awarded the coveted ‘Digital Project of the Year’ for its AI venture (Artificial Intelligence).
Stena Line was nominated for its aspiration to become the world’s first cognitive ferry company and the fact that the company has totally embraced its digital statement, namely that ‘The company will be fully assisted by AI in 2021’.
“We started our digitilisation and transformation journey two years ago and it is now a central part of our strategy that will take us into the future and increase our competitiveness. It’s all about working with automation in our ports and digital experiences onboard and the exciting possibilities that AI and machine learning brings”, says Jari Virtanen, Chief Transformation Officer at Stena Line.
Amer Mohammed, Head of Digital Innovations, Stena Line, was at the Gala event and received the award together with his team on behalf of Stena Line. From left to right: Sebastian Nabrink, Ludvig Gee, Jessica Andersson, Erik Osmund, Amer Mohammed, Hampus Hallman. Photo: ©Stena.
The ferry part of the Stena Group is performing well with the EBITDA, “continuing on historical high levels across the regions and markets with continued increased volumes both on freight and travel segments, offset by increased bunker costs and a challenging North Sea Market.”
Stena Line has published its “Freight Facts 2018”. In this edition of Freight Facts, customers can find all the necessary information about Stena Line: route network, information about ships, crossing times, conditions and contact details.
Some North Sea routes will see a redeployment of ships.
CAROLINE RUSS will leave the Rotterdam-Killingholme route in January, being replaced by MISANA and MISIDA (owned by Stena RoRo).
STENA FORERUNNER will sail together with STENA SCOTIA on Rotterdam-Harwich as from January.
A dispute between Stena Line and Doyle Shipping Group over the provision of services for ferries docking at Dublin port has come before the Commercial Court.
On August 31, Stena informed DSG it was ending the agreement. DSG argues the termination notice is in breach of an oral agreement negotiated with Stena in 2015 for provision of services at Dublin Port until 2022.
As the first ferry company in the Port of Trelleborg, Stena Line will now be connecting up its two ro-pax vessels SKÅNE and MECKLENBURG-VORPOMMERN to the electricity grid during calls into port.
Stena Line is a pioneer in this field. Cold ironing is now reality in four of Stena Line’s six ports in Sweden. Throughout Stena Line’s route network, 17% of the ports are connected.
“Planning work is under way to enable us to connect vessels in more of our ports. The objective is for 25% of the ports by 2020 and 7% by 2030,” says Stena Line’s CEO Niclas Mårtensson.
Photo © Stena Line
Stena is investing in a new route from Poland to Sweden: Gdynia-Nynäshamn.
The new line will commence operations on October 16, with three round trips a week.
The 18-hour crossing will be operated by 1,625 lane meter ro-ro ELISABETH RUSS.
Stena Line’s CEO Niclas Mårtensson said that the demand for freight capacity in the Baltic Sea has been growing steadily over the last number of years.
Stena Line has already been operating a route from Gdynia to Sweden for over 20 years, with Karlskrona as Swedish port.
Photo © Stena Line
Stena Line published a video on YouTube, about the use of methanol as fuel.
Photo © Stena Line
Stena Line launched a two-month coffee campaign to support the Mercy Ships charity, in their efforts to deliver free, world-class health care to people in need in the developing world.
A key part of the campaign will see Stena Line customers being given the opportunity to choose to buy coffee or tea in a special Mercy Ships mug, where 20 eurocent will be donated directly to Mercy Ships.
A steel cutting ceremony was held at the AVIC Weihai Shipyard in China on August 25. It marks the start of the construction of the first of four 3,100-lane-metre, 1,000-passenger, 175-cabin vessels ordered by Stena, all to be delivered in 2019-2020. Stena has an option for 4 more.
