Shippax News Bulletin – 23
- In association with Interferry
Dear Subscriber,
Please find herewith the headlines of the news added to the Shippax website during week 23.
Photo above: Earlier this week, Naikai Zosen Corporation’s Setoda shipyard delivered the 144.13m-long and 23.0m-beam BLUE LUMINOUS to Tsugaru Kaikyo Ferry. Replacing BLUE DOLPHIN 2 and joining her near sisters BLUE MERMAID, BLUE DOLPHIN and BLUE HAPPINESS on the he 113km Hakodate-Aomori route, the single-engined BLUE LUMINOUS boasts a capacity of 583 passengers, 70 twelve-metre trucks, one eight-metre truck and 30 cars. (PHOTO: NAIKAI ZOSEN)
Have a nice weekend!
DFDS reinstates Frederikshavn-Oslo route
PEARL SEAWAYS and CROWN SEAWAYS will make an intermediate call in Frederikshavn on their way to and from Oslo. © DFDS
Two and a half months after Stena Line decided it would permanently stop its Frederikshavn-Oslo route operated by the 1981-built STENA SAGA, DFDS has announced it will reinstate the route they operated themselves until 1974.
SILJA SERENADE opens new summer route from Helsinki to Riga
SILJA SERENADE will be cruising to Riga instead of Stockholm when re-entering service on 26 June. © Marko Stampehl
Tallink Silja has announced that it will introduce cruises between Helsinki and Riga for the summer of 2020. SILJA SERENADE, one of the company’s flagships normally employed on the Helsinki-Mariehamn-Stockholm route, will start to cruise from Helsinki to Riga every second day as from 26 June with an afternoon departure from Helsinki at 16:00.
STENA DANICA returns to service 1 July
Thanks to its vast passenger capacity STENA DANICA is better suited to meet the COVID-19 requirements than the smaller STENA VINGA. © Kai Ortel
The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted Stena Line to adapt supply to demand, also affecting its Gothenburg-Frederikshavn route. STENA DANICA was laid up in its homeport of Gothenburg on 23 March and replaced by the smaller freight-oriented STENA VINGA, sailing in tandem with STENA JUTLANDICA.
Out now - ShippaxInfo June!
Theme: COVID-19
We have dedicated this issue of ShippaxInfo to COVID-19. We did our utmost to reflect realistically on current realities and potential scenarios. We also approached
several European ferry operators for their views on the COVID-19 crisis.
"I think the industry’s main role right now is to
demonstrate to the authorities in our countries that
we can continue to provide our services without
endangering the wider public health situation."
Paavo Nõgene, CEO, Tallink Grupp
"What is important is that any state support should
be given to all operators, without discrimination, so
that it avoids any distortion of competition."
Emanuele Grimaldi, MD, Grimaldi Group
"We think that the nature of travelling could change,
at least for a period of time, but that travelling by
ferry will continue to be popular."
Torben Carlsen, CEO, DFDS
"Stena Line will always be a ro-pax company but
we will focus our efforts more towards a transportoriented
travel product going forward, less cruise oriented
elements."
Niclas Mårtensson, CEO, Stena Line
Keel laid for Oceanwide Expeditions JANSSONIUS
At the occasion of the keel laying ceremony of JANSSONIUS, Oceanwide’s founder and shareholder Wijnand van Gessel hinted that up to two more expedition vessels could potentially be built by Brodosplit. © Brodosplit
The keel laying ceremony took place on 2 June for the second of two polar class expedition vessels, JANSSONIUS, for Dutch operator Oceanwide Expeditions at Croatia’s Brodosplit shipyard.
Further delay for Fjord Line’s new high-speed catamaran
Fjord Line has confirmed a further delay of FJORD FSTR. © Fjord Line
In February this year, Fjord Line’s new 1,200-passenger and 404-car capacity Austal Auto Express 109m catamaran FJORD FSTR. was launched by Austal Philippines in Balamban, Cebu. Rickard Ternblom, CEO of Fjord Line, has confirmed to Shippax that “the company is now planning for a very late summer introduction, rather than the spring introduction as originally planned.”
Grimaldi Group adds twice weekly Venice-Igoumenitsa-Patras ro-pax service
The Visentini Class VENEZIA will operate a twice weekly Venice-Igoumenitsa-Patras ro-pax service. © Grimaldi Group
Starting on 11 June, Grimaldi Group will further expand its Adriatic Sea ferry network with the opening of a twice weekly Venice (Marghera)-Igoumenitsa-Patras ro-pax service in direct competition with ANEK Lines.
Tallink increases capacity between Helsinki and Tallinn, brings in fourth ship
VICTORIA I is no stranger to the Helsinki-Tallinn route, having covered for SILJA EUROPA’s recent docking last winter. © Marko Stampehl
In view of the high demand for non-landing and day cruises from Helsinki to Tallinn, Tallink is bringing in its ro-pax cruise ferry VICTORIA I as from 8 June.
Trasmediterránea resumes passenger service between Valencia and Ibiza
CIUDAD DE IBIZA still displaying the old Trasmediterránea livery. © Kai Ortel
Trasmediterránea has announced that with immediate effect, it is resuming passenger sailings between Valencia and the island of Ibiza, to be served by the ro-pax CIUDAD DE IBIZA. There will be five sailings a week, increasing to six on 22 June, and continuing as such until the end of September.
GSI cuts first steel for next-generation Moby ro-pax
GSI has started with the construction of MOBY FANTASY, reviving the name of a ferry that operated for Moby for almost 20 years. © Moby
On 1 June, Guangzhou Shipyard International (GSI) cut the first steel for Moby’s first of two next-generation ro-pax ferries, the contract of which was signed in Beijing in June last year.
DFDS to re-start Copenhagen-Oslo route after 70-day suspension
CROWN SEAWAYS and PEARL SEAWAYS have been laid up since mid-March. © DFDS
DFDS will re-start its Copenhagen-Oslo service with the first sailing from Copenhagen to be operated by CROWN SEAWAYS on 25 June. PEARL SEAWAYS will sail from Copenhagen on 26 June, the day when CROWN SEAWAYS will return from Oslo.
Hope for a revival of Sassnitz ferry line?
Stena Line pulled the plug on the 'Köngislinie' with SASSNITZ, the route's single ship, laid up in Uddevalla. © Marc Ottini
After the recent closure of the Sassnitz-Trelleborg route by Stena Line, there appears to be political will to support a re-start of a regular ferry service linking Sassnitz with Sweden. Reederei Weiße Flotte, part of the FRS Group, is considering to bring in a high-speed ro-pax catamaran from southern Spain and commence sailings between Sassnitz and Ystad.
Ocean Tokyu Ferry to resume passenger services
FERRY RITSURIN and her three sister ships have continued to operate in freight-only mode. © Ocean Trans Co.
Ocean Trans Co. has announced that it would resume passenger services on 1 July 2020.
Construction starts on eighth E-Flexer
Unlike displayed on the red banner, the eighth E-Flexer will have a 3,600-lanemetre rather than a 3,100-lanemetre intake. © CMI Jinling Weihai Shipyard
Following the first steel cutting of yard number W0271 on 29 May, CMI Jinling Weihai Shipyard started with the construction of the eighth E-Flexer which is expected to be delivered in late November 2022.
Tallink to temporarily increase capacity on Paldiski-Kapellskär route
ISABELLE will join REGAL STAR on the Paldiski-Kapellskär route. © Jukka Huotari
Tallink will temporarily increase capacity on the Paldiski-Kapellskär route as the 1989-built ro-pax cruise ferry ISABELLE is set to join the ro-pax freighter REGAL STAR, starting on 7 June until 31 August 2020.
Gradual re-opening of ferry traffic for the summer season
A regular morning sight at Kieler Förde is to return when Color Line re-starts (initially non-landing) cruises from Oslo. © Marko Stampehl
With several European countries announcing the opening of their borders for tourists, there appears a bit of hope for many people’s summer holidays. On 28 May, Estonia announced to open its borders to citizens of 16 Schengen countries as from 1 June. As from 15 June, tourists who have booked at least six nights of accommodation outside Copenhagen, will be able to enter Denmark, Danish Prime Minister Mette Fredriksen announced on 29 May.
Financials
Stena AB Q1 2020 financial results
Ferry operations
- During Q1, revenue decreased from SEK 2,883 million in 2019 to SEK 2,803 million in 2020.
- EBITDA ended at SEK 211 million, compared to SEK 450 million in 2019.
Roll-on/Roll-off vessels
- Revenue from the company’s ro-ro activities reached SEK 99 million for the period (SEK 111 million).
- EBITDA ended at SEK 70 million in 2020, compared to SEK 77 million in 2019.
Attica Group reaped the fruits of HSW’s integration into the group
Attica Group has released its financial results for 2019, showing a consolidated revenue increase of 10.9% to EUR 405.4 million (EUR 365.4 million for fiscal year 2018). EBITDA soared by 37% year-on-year from EUR 57 million in 2018 to EUR 78.02 million last year.
Norled released its financials for Q1 this year which, they claim, were not significantly affected by COVID-19 but rather by the changes in the contract portfolio. Revenue ended at NOK 509 million (NOK 531 million), with EBITDA at NOK 99 million (NOK 62 million).
Press Releases
These press release news are published “as is”, i.e. this is how we get it from the senders. If you want to have your relevant news published, please send it to news@shippax.se
DFDS in exciting EU-funded green automation project
DFDS is part of an extremely exciting project that tests how autonomous ships and automation in port operations can make waterborne transport and cargo handling in ports and on vessels greener and more flexible. The high-profile project has just received a major EUR 7.5 million grant from the EU.
ABB has been selected by American shipbuilding company Vigor Fab LLC as the hybrid-electric propulsion and energy storage system provider for the newest additions to the Washington State Ferry fleet, setting the largest U.S. ferry system on course for zero-emission operations
Accelerating digitalisation of maritime trade and logistics: a call to action
Seaports are critical infrastructures to keep supply chains moving and economies across the world functioning. This becomes especially visible in times of global crisis. A great variety of business and government actors interact in port communities to ensure multimodal flows of vital medical and food supplies, critical agricultural products, energy streams and other goods and services reach their intended destinations in time.
YSA Design lends expertise to cruise industry comeback
As the cruise industry gears up for its return, shipowners are looking to ready their vessels for the post-pandemic era. According to the architecture and design firm YSA Design, passenger ship interiors will require radical rethinking to enable higher standards of hygiene and adequate social distancing.
DNV GL and ABB launch new MOU to advance marine digitalization with a re-mote signing ceremony
DNV GL and ABB have signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to accelerate digitalization in the maritime industry. The agreement was signed remotely by DNV GL – Maritime CEO Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen and ABB Marine & Ports Managing Director Juha Koskela in an online ceremony.
ABS Launches New Guide for Wind-Assisted Propulsion Systems
ABS has published the ABS Guide to Wind-Assisted Propulsion System Installation, providing class safety standards when installing wind- assisted systems.
Cargotec’s Kalmar and MacGregor have announced their joint participation in AEGIS (Advanced, Efficient and Green Intermodal Systems), a three-year project funded by the EU’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation programme.
The focus of the AEGIS project is on integrating smaller ships, inland transport and short-sea shipping with larger terminals to create a completely new European transport system.
With a NZD 400 Million contribution to the 2020 Budget, state-owned KiwiRail is now able to go out to international tender to build two new future-proof ships and modernising their fleet. In close cooperation with KiwiRail’s team, Danish naval architects OSK-ShipTech A/S have developed the concept for the two new ferries.
As travel restrictions between Estonia and Finland ease and demand for maritime transport services grows, Tallink Grupp will add even more departures to the Tallinn-Helsinki route from tomorrow, 4 June 2020. The company’s shuttle vessel STAR will complete more early morning and afternoon trips between the two Nordic capitals this week and next, before returning to its pre-crisis full schedule of 6 departures every day from 15 June.
SGMF publish guidelines for the safe dry docking of vessels that use gas as fuel
The Society for Marine Gas as a Fuel (SGMF) has published new guidance on work practices for maintenance, repair and dry-dock operations for ships that use gas/LNG as fuel to help ensure the safe maintenance of gas-fuelled ships.
DNV GL launches new certification in infection prevention for the maritime industry
DNV GL has launched a new certification in infection prevention for the maritime industry. The release of this custom certification aims to help the maritime industry resume operations better prepared for COVID-19 or other emerging pathogens. Genting Cruise Lines is the first customer working towards the CIP-M certification for their vessel EXPLORER DREAM under the Dream Cruises brand.
Austal announces CEO transition
John Rothwell, the Chairman of Austal Limited (Austal) (ASX:ASB), announces that its Chief Operating Officer Patrick Gregg will be promoted to the position of Chief Executive Officer effective 1 January 2021, following a six month transition from current Managing Director and CEO David Singleton.
P&O Cruises extends pause in operations for all sailings until October 15, 2020
P&O Cruises has announced an extension to the pause in its operations until October 15, 2020 as it focuses on working in close coordination with all relevant public health bodies to approve further enhancement of the company's already stringent health and safety protocols.
Stena Line reduces CO2 emissions - a leader in sustainable shipping
Ferry shipping company Stena Line continues to reduce CO2 emissions and is now ten years ahead of the international shipping targets for reducing emissions. In the newly published sustainability overview “A Sustainable Journey” Stena Line reports a reduction of both total CO2 emissions and per transported ton onboard the ferries. New, larger and more energy efficient vessels, AI assisted captains and an increased punctuality are some important measures.
The establishment of the new cruise terminal in Copenhagen is postponed
A very significantly changed cruise market, due to the crisis with the coronavirus pandemic, means that Copenhagen Malmö Port (CMP) will postpone the establishment of what was planned to be a new cruise terminal at Copenhagen’s Oceankaj.
Corvus Energy is pleased to announce that Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) of Tokyo, Japan has ordered the first commercial unit of a new Corvus Energy high-density lithium-ion capacitor energy storage system (ESS).
Viking Line Abp: Managers' Transactions
Managers' transactions
Viking Line Abp has received the following notification pursuant to Article 19 of the EU Market Abuse Regulation from a person closely associated with a person discharging managerial responsibilities in Viking Line Abp.
Finnlines is an integral part of Finland’s security of supply
For more than 70 years, Finnlines has played an essential role in integrating Finland with the rest of the Europe and Russia and increasing the prosperity in our country. With good seamanship and long term focus, the company has navigated through several economic storms during the years. In fact, thanks to these challenges, Finnlines is today in better shape than ever.
Tallink Grupp has this month carried out a survey* among its loyalty programme Club One members in Estonia, Finland and Sweden to understand people’s willingness to travel this summer. More than 5,600 of the company’s Club One members filled in the survey during May in the three countries to share their thoughts on travel plans and preferences this summer.
Most read
Secure your seat and book now! (Upd.8 Jan)
jan 08 2026
VIKING GLORY to make evening voyages from Turku when VIKING GRACE is dry-docked
dec 29 2025
EXPRESS 5 to sail more in 2026
dec 29 2025
Scottish government to nationalise Ardrossan Harbour and carry out major upgrading programme to be able to dock new CalMac ferries
jan 09 2026
Brittany Ferries secure prime 8:15am slot at Port of St Malo
dec 29 2025
Marine Atlantic charters A NEPITA from Stena RoRo
jan 07 2026
Indonesian ferry wrecked in the Sunda Strait
jan 08 2026
Lite Ferries takes delivery of LITE FERRY TWENTY
jan 08 2026
