Wightlink to resume Yarmouth-Lymington service from 17 July

WIGHT SUN is one of three Wight Class double-enders serving Yarmouth-Lymington. © Frank Lose

Wightlink is to resume its Yarmouth-Lymington service on 17 July, following its suspension on 31 March due to the COVID-19 situation in the UK.

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Doeksen’s WILLEM BARENTSZ ready to take up service

WILLEM BARENTSZ is ready for introduction, about two years late. © Flying Focus

The commissioning of Dutch Rederij Doeksen’s WILLEM BARENTSZ has been completed with the LNG-powered all-aluminium passenger and vehicle catamaran being ready for introduction across the Wadden Sea on 3 July. Sister ship WILLEM DE VLAMINGH will follow in September, the pair serving the islands of Vlieland and Terschelling from the mainland port of Harlingen.

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Shippax Market 20 - OUT NOW!

Established 1998

Shippax Market is the annual publication filled with traffic figures, statistics, analyses and market reports for the previous year.

Contents:

FERRY MARKET & OUTLOOK: The ferry industry in facts & figures, comments and analyses.

CRUISE MARKET & OUTLOOK: The cruise industry in facts & figures, comments and analyses.

RO-RO MARKET & OUTLOOK: The ro-ro industry in facts & figures, comments and analyses.

HIGH-SPEED MARKET & OUTLOOK: The high-speed ferry industry in facts & figures, comments and analyses.

FERRY STATISTICS

CRUISE STATISTICS

PORT STATISTICS

Number of pages: 252 pages

Godby Shipping finds charterers for MISIDA and MIDAS

MISIDA left Kotka, where it was laid up, for the Irish Sea on 28 June. © Marc Ottini

In what seems to be a reaction to CLdN’s entry into the central corridor freight market with two weekly roundtrips between Liverpool and Dublin, P&O Ferries has chartered the 2,150-lanemetre MISIDA from Godby Shipping.

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BOHAI HENGTONG floated out

BOHAI HENGTONG will be a drive-through ro-ro. © CIMC Raffles

The BOHAI HENGTONG was floated out of its building dock at the CIMC Raffles shipyard in Longkou on 30 June, a few months late due to the COVID-19 crisis.

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Tallink Grupp acquires SAILOR from Navirail

SAILOR was on charter to DFDS, serving Hanko-Paldiski and Paldiski-Kapellskär. © Marko Stampehl

Tallink Grupp has purchased the ro-pax vessel SAILOR from Navirail OÜ. Built in 1987, the SAILOR has been in Navirail ownership since October 2016, when the company purchased the vessel and then chartered it to DFDS which took over the Paldiski-Hanko route from Navirail. For the last two months and following a capacity charter agreement with Eckerö Line, SAILOR has also been serving DFDS’s Kapellskär-Paldiski route, guarenteeing evening departures in either direction.

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Keel laying of MSC WORLD EUROPA

MSC WORLD EUROPA © Chantiers de l’Atlantique

The Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France, has laid the keel of what will become the 205,700gt MSC WORLD EUROPA when delivered in May 2022. The 6,761-passenger capacity cruise ship is the first of four LNG-powered World Class vessels for MSC Cruises.

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Lengthened E-Flexers will have shore power connection

Stena Line's lengthened E-Flexers will have a shore power connection, guaranteeing zero emissions in port. © Stena Line

As Shippax reported earlier, construction on the first lengthened E-Flexer, yard number W0271, started with the first steel cutting on 29 May. Stena Line still keeps its cards close to its chest when it comes to the route the lengthened pair will operate, but revealed some interesting details about the ships which are due for delivery in 2022.

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Dream Cruises resumes post-lockdown operations

EXPLORER DREAM © Genting

Dream Cruises will resume opeartions as of 26 July with its 1999-built EXPLORER DREAM. Two- and three-night ‘Taiwan Island Hopping’ itineraries will be on offer.

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Oma Baatbyggeri delivered 29m BØRTIND to Torghatten Nord

BØRTIND © Oma Baatbyggeri

The 147-passenger capacity and 32-knot BØRTIND has been delivered to Torghatten Nord. It will service Torghatten Nord’s fast ferry services in the Norwegian Norland area.

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DFDS axes about 650 jobs, adapting itself to changed market conditions

© Marc Ottini

DFDS has announced a restructuring programme aimed at adapting the ferry and logistics group to the new market conditions created by COVID-19. As a result of this, about 650 jobs out of a total of 8,600 will be axed – 200 in Denmark, the country where the group’s headquarters are located.

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Hankyu Ferry to introduce YAMATO, but no further fleet expansion due to COVID-19

YAMATO joins sister ship SETTSU on the Kitakyushu (Shinmoji)-Kobe route. © Mitsubishi Shipbuilding

SHK Line Group-controlled Hankyu Ferry will introduce its new YAMATO on the Kitakyushu (Shinmoji)-Kobe route on 30 June, joining sister ship SETTSU which debuted on the route on 10 March.

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THE CAT will not sail in 2020

Just like last year, no services will be operated by THE CAT between Bar Harbor and Yarmouth. © Bay Ferries

The seasonal high-speed passenger/vehicle ferry service operated by Canada’s Bay Ferries between Maine and Nova Scotia will not operate in 2020 due to ongoing travel restrictions in North America associated with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

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Bastø Fosen gets financial support to electrify two Horten-Moss double-enders

BASTØ VI is one of two existing double-enders in the Bastø Fosen fleet to be electrified. © Peter Therkildsen

A big step towards the electrification of Norway’s busiest ferry route has been taken following Bastø Fosen’s decision to convert the 2016-built Horten-Moss double-enders BASTØ IV and BASTØ VI to full-electric power by June 2022.

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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

Condor Ferries to resume sailings to the Channel Islands this week

Cross-Channel ferry operator, Condor Ferries, is pleased to announce it will resume sailings to the Channel Islands from the UK this weekend – marking 100 days since services were suspended in March.

AIDA Cruises extends pause of its operation until end of August 2020

Given the gradual easing in intra-European travel, AIDA Cruises believes it will resume its cruise operation later this summer. However, the conditions for safe travel do not yet exist in many destinations worldwide.

Kongsberg Digital acquires Danish maritime software company COACH Solutions

Kongsberg Digital has acquired COACH Solutions, a leading supplier of software solutions for vessel performance and monitoring. The new name will be KONGSBERG COACH Solutions.

The Port of Flåm have received funding to build onshore power supply for cruise ships.

To meet more stringent requirements regarding emissions from the cruise industry and future development, the Port of Flåm has been working with offering locally produced hydropower to cruise ships while alongside in Flåm. The port therefore submitted an application to ENOVA in April 2020, and this has now been granted. The support amount from ENOVA is 27 million. The actual cost of building OPS is estimated to 83 million. This amount also includes an underwater cable directly from the hydro power station in Aurland to Flåm. This cable will accomodate future demands and open for development and innovation.

Premiere for Rolls-Royce's first MTU gas engines in new Doeksen ferry

Dutch shipping company Doeksen officially commissioned the WILLEM BARENTSZ, the first of its two new 70-m ferries, on 1 July in Harlingen. The occasion also marked the premiere of the twin 16-cylinder MTU gas engines from Rolls-Royce aboard the ferry which together deliver some 3,000 kW for its ecologically clean operation on the Wadden Sea – a UNESCO World Heritage site. “I'm really impressed with the MTU gas engines. So far, they’ve met all our expectations in terms of performance, transient response behavior, smooth travel and low noise,” said Paul Melles, Managing Director of the Doeksen shipping company.

Vow ASA: Vow ASA subsidiary Scanship awarded a 7.8 million-euro contract for its cruise clean ship system with major European shipbuilder

Vow ASA has through its subsidiary Scanship AS been awarded a 7.8-million-euro cruise newbuild contract for the delivery of its advanced technologies for wastewater purification, garbage handling and food waste processing. The Scanship systems will be installed on two mega sized cruise ships entering service in 2026 and 2027, being part of an ongoing 6 ship newbuild program in Italy for one of the larger Miami based shipowners. Scanship has previously entered into contracts for the other ships in the program.

As of 1 July, Norway permits bareboat registration in the Norwegian ship registers

The Norwegian Maritime Authority is pleased that ship registration in Norway is becoming more adaptive and internationally competitive. A regulatory amendment will allow bareboat registration in and deregistration from the Norwegian International Ship Register (NIS) and the Norwegian Ordinary Ship Register (NOR).

Moby secures business continuity and resumes talks with creditors

The boards of directors of Moby SpA and CIN SpA have resolved to present a request for a reservation pursuant to art. 161 sixth paragraph l.f. for both companies.
This choice has the aim of allowing the companies to continue negotiations with their creditors for the achievement of a restructuring agreement under the supervision and protection of the Milan court, protect business continuity and ensure the normal operation of routes for customers, employees and allied industries.

FURUNO acquire EMRI A/S

Furuno, the global leader in Maritime Navigation, Communication and Acoustic systems, announced the acquisition, on July 1, 2020, of Danish company EMRI A/S, specializing in autopilots, steering control, joystick dynamic positioning and maneuvering systems, founded in 1972.

Alfa Laval signs agreement with leading engine developer

Alfa Laval – a world leader in heat transfer, centrifugal separation and fluid handling – continues to expand its offering to marine customers, catering to their needs no matter which fuel they use to propel their vessels. The new addition Alfa Laval CEC-S solution, developed in cooperation with the global Swiss engine developer WinGD, is targeting ships that run on gas and it will improve the engine efficiency on ships that run on gas.

North Sea Handling stands behind the rotor sail tilting system on SC CONNECTOR

Through its subsidiary NSH Ships Equipment AS, an agreement with the Norwegian ship owner Sea-Cargo AS has been made to design and deliver complete tilting systems for two 35m tall and 5m wide Rotor Sails. The Rotor Sails are delivered by Norsepower and will be installed onboard the RoRo vessel, SC CONNECTOR. This technology will help to limit fuel consumption and reduce emissions by an estimate of 25%.

Wärtsilä Aquarius UV and Aquarius EC BWMS granted compliance with IMO revised G8 Type Approval

The technology group Wärtsilä’s Aquarius UV and Aquarius EC ballast water management systems (BWMS) have been granted compliance with the IMO’s Resolution MEPC.300(72) for the Approval of Ballast Water Management Systems (BWMS Code) on behalf of the Norwegian Maritime Authority. The approval was granted by the classification society DNV-GL who simultaneously awarded the system Type Approval status in accordance with their classification rules. The certifications were awarded to Wärtsilä in March and June respectively.

Sterling PBES Completes Lithium Battery Fire and Explosion Testing

Marine energy storage experts Sterling PBES today announced the completion of its most intense fire and safety testing to date. The battery, known in marine circles as the most robust ever built, has again proven its mettle in extreme testing.

SCHOTTEL presents a retractable variant of its successful Rim Thruster

With its SCHOTTEL Retractable Rim Thruster, the German propulsion expert has launched a newly developed variant of its proven rim thruster (SRT). Covering the power range up to 500 kW, the SRT-R offers many advantages, such as low noise emissions and tailor-made solutions for a wide range of applications. Optimized by CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics), the internal propeller blades are hydrodynamically designed to be highly resistant to cavitation.

Tallink Grupp adds more departures to Helsinki-Riga and Turku-Tallinn routes for August 2020

Tallink Grupp has announced that due to significant interest in the new temporary routes, it is adding more departures to the Helsinki-Riga and Turku-Tallinn routes for August 2020. The Helsinki -Riga route was originally due to operate only until 16 August, but due to significant customer interest, the company will continue to operate the route at least until 28 August.

World’s first full scale ammonia engine test - an important step towards carbon free shipping

The technology group Wärtsilä, in close customer cooperation with Knutsen OAS Shipping AS and Repsol, as well as with the Sustainable Energy Catapult Centre, will commence the world’s first long term, full-scale, testing of ammonia as a fuel in a marine four-stroke combustion engine. The testing is made possible by a 20 MNOK grant from the Norwegian Research Council through the DEMO 2000 programme.

Red Jets return! Sailings resume after 72-day suspension of service

Red Funnel is delighted to welcome back its Hi-Speed Red Jet service between Southampton and West Cowes, with services resuming today, Monday 29 June.
The Red Jet service has been suspended for an unprecedented 72 days following a reduction in demand and the need to maintain resilience within the Red Funnel operation as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Operations resume today on board RED JET 6, with the first sailing departing from Southampton at 05:15 this morning.

Wärtsilä and Pastrovich Studio sign agreement to develop a sustainable hybrid boutique cruise vessel

A new generation of boutique cruise ships is set to emerge, with the luxury of a superyacht, the construction techniques and passenger experience of a cruise ship, and a close focus on the environment. These cost optimised vessels will serve the charter and luxury hotel sectors in attracting and meeting the demand from millennials and cruise veterans alike.

Norsepower unveils first tiltable rotor sail installation with SEA-CARGO agreement

Two of Norsepower’s largest 35m tall Rotor Sails to be retrofitted onto Ro-Ro operating in the North Sea are predicted to reduce emissions by an estimated 25%

Artemis Technologies to build zero emissions ferries following £60M funding

A Belfast Maritime Consortium led by Artemis Technologies has won a £33 million UK Government innovation grant to develop zero emissions ferries in the city, that will revolutionise the future of maritime transport. With further investment from consortium partners, the total project investment will reach close to £60m over the next four years, creating an initial 125 research and development jobs, and leading to more than 1,000 in the region over the next 10 years.

Carnival Corporation & plc Announces Pricing of $1.86 billion and €800 million First-Priority Senior Secured Term Loan Facility

Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK) (the "Company") announced the pricing of Carnival Corporation's first-priority senior secured term loan facility, consisting of a $1,860 million tranche and a €800 million tranche, with a maturity of five years. The U.S. dollar tranche will be issued at a price equal to 96% of its face value and will bear interest at a rate per annum equal to adjusted LIBOR (with a 1% floor) plus 7.500%.