Work started on MELODY OF THE SEAS

SYMPHONY OF THE SEAS was delivered by Chantiers de l'Atlantique in March 2018 © Marc Ottini

The Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France, has started to construct the fifth unit in a line six of the Royal Caribbean Oasis Class cruise ships. Named MELODY OF THE SEAS, she is expected to be delivered early 2021.

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Boreal Sjø to take over Fjord1’s concession on the Molde-Vestnes route

KORSFJORD is one of four sister ships currently serving the Molde-Vestnes route on behalf of Fjord1 © Uwe Jakob

Statens vegvesen – the Norwegian Public Road Administration – has selected Boreal Sjø to operate the Molde-Vestnes route for a period of eight years starting in January 2021.

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STQ acquires SAAREMAA

SAAREMAA is expected to leave Germany for Canada soon © Marko Stampehl

Société des traversiers du Québec (STQ) has reportedly acquired the double-ender SAAREMAA for service across the St. Lawrence River, linking Mathane with Baie-Comeau and Godbout.

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Wallenius and SOL form joint venture and announce newbuild plans

© Knud E. Hansen

Wallenius SOL is the name of a new joint venture formed between Wallenius and Gothenburg-based Swedish Orient Line (SOL). The joint venture that started its operation on 12 April, is based on a 50/50 shared ownership and will primarily focus on transporting forest products with a fleet initially consisting of five vessels. The newco has also announced newbuilding plans for up to four LNG-powered ro-ro freighters – two + one + one option – to be built in China, understood to be Yantai CIMC Raffles Offshore.

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SPIRIT OF VANCOUVER ISLAND re-enters service

SPIRIT OF VANCOUVER ISLAND is back in service following her major mid-life upgrade and conversion to LNG propulsion © BC Ferries

BC Ferries’ SPIRIT OF VANCOUVER ISLAND re-entered service on the Victoria (Swartz Bay)-Metro Vancouver (Tsawwassen) route earlier than expected on 18 April following her three- month mid-life upgrade and conversion to dual fuel operation at Remontowa Shiprepair in Gdansk.

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The EU will assist with fuel and emission test aboard ferries

HYPATIA DE ALEJANDRIA is one of five Baleària ships to take part in the Green and Connected Ports project t© Marc Ottini

The EU has granted a 50% subsidy to the “Green and Connected Ports” project, in which Baleària plays an active part. The project, which includes the Ports of Valencia, Venice and Piraeus, aims to measure in real time, both actual fuel consumption and the emissions generated during sea crossings and whilst in port.

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Financials

Consolidation paying off for Attica

Attica Group lifted revenue in 2018 to EUR 365.4 million from EUR 271.5 million in 2017 following the consolidation of Hellenic Seaways (HSW) from the middle of the year. The EBITDA was EUR 57 million compared to EUR 59.55 million in 2017.

Slightly weaker first quarter for Viking Line

Viking Line released its first quarter results for the January-March 2019 period. Sales amounted to EUR 95.8 million (100.3), and operating income ended at EUR -14.2 million (-13.5).

Anek Lines released its 2018 results

Anek Lines released its full year results for 2018, showing an increase in sales to EUR 168.2 million, compared to EUR 164.7 million the year before. EBITDA also increased, from EUR 12.8 in 2017 million to EUR 14.6 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

Celebrity Cruises Announces Three Revolutionary Partnerships Ahead of CELEBRITY FLORA's Debut

With just 66 days until the official debut of CELEBRITY FLORA, Celebrity Cruises has unveiled three new cutting-edge partnerships for the revolutionary new ship: A world-renowned conservationist turned Godmother, a one-of-a-kind designer with an unmatched vision, and a leading university specializing in marine and atmospheric sciences.

DFDS invests in biofuel developer MASH Energy

DFDS is investing in the start-up company MASH Energy ApS that produces biofuel from agricultural waste, currently from the by-products of nut processing in Tanzania and India. The biofuel is CO2 neutral and can be used in ships. In addition, the residual product is an effective fertiliser and will also contribute to reduce the CO2 balance.

Heinen & Hopman awarded the contract to supply the HVAC and refrigeration for TT-Line newbuild

Heinen & Hopman was awarded the contract to supply the HVAC and refrigeration for a 230M RoPax ferry, to be built for TT-Line. TT-Line possesses six ferries operating in the Baltic Sea. Expecting a growing demand for short sea transport in the Baltic Sea, TT-Line decided to invest in its fleet to meet their customers’ needs by offering a modern and comfortable journey. TT-Line’s newest ferry will be powered by LNG but will be able to run on diesel as well. The ferry has 50% less emissions compared to the previous generation of vessels.

Wärtsilä's Interim Report January-March 2019

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE REVIEW PERIOD JANUARY-MARCH 2019
• Order intake decreased 6% to EUR 1,416 million (1,507)
• Net sales increased 8% to EUR 1,151 million (1,066)
• Comparable operating result increased to EUR 102 million (88), which represents 8.9% of net sales (8.3)

NAPA signs up to become first certified application provider for Inmarsat’s IoT service

Inmarsat and NAPA, the leading provider of maritime software, services and data analysis, have signed an agreement to enable ship owners and ship managers to access and analyse real-time onboard data more efficiently through a dedicated application hosted on Inmarsat’s new Fleet Data IoT service.

Major milestone for first x-bow polar vessel at ulstein verft

The workers at Ulstein today followed closely the hull arrival of the polar expedition cruise vessel NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC ENDURANCE. This is the first X-BOW® polar vessel to be built at the yard. The Lindblad Expeditions/National Geographic vessel will now undergo comprehensive outfitting work.

Advantages of new Wärtsilä Waterjets recognised with immediate order for high-speed ferry

The Wärtsilä WXJ series of modular waterjets, recently introduced by the technology group Wärtsilä, has quickly been selected for its first installation. A new 100 metres long, wave-piercing catamaran ferry being built for the Government of Trinidad and Tobago at the Incat shipyard in Tasmania, Australia will be powered by four Wärtsilä WXJ1200 waterjets. The order was booked in March 2019.

Eni, CDP, Fincantieri and Terna join forces to develop power plants on an industrial scale

The Chief Executive Officers of Cassa depositi e prestiti, Fabrizio Palermo, of Fincantieri, Giuseppe Bono, of Terna, Luigi Ferraris, and of Eni, Claudio Descalzi, signed a non-binding agreement at the Eni headquarters in the EUR district of Rome to develop and build wave power stations on an industrial scale.

Maximizing cruise ship revenue, the high-tech way

Burn less fuel. Run more cleanly. Keep uptime and reliability high. Do it all while keeping costs down. For cruise ship operators today, it seems like everything on that list is the top priority. If you’re constructing new vessels, you can take advantage of the latest features designed to address these issues. But what about existing ships — how do you meet your goals without investing in upgrades and retrofits?