Winners of the Shippax Awards 2022

The Shippax Awards were launched in 1996 as a means to stimulate innovative solutions and trendsetters. The idea behind it is to promote noteworthy design features on newly-delivered ro-pax and ro-ro vessels.
The announcement and hand-over of the Shippax Awards 2022 took place in conjunction with the Shippax Ferry Conference, held on board SILJA SYMPHONY, 4-6 May 2022.

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Godby Shipping’s MIDAS returns to Europe after completing charters in the Caribbean

MIDAS © Godby Shipping

Mariehamn-based Godby Shipping’s 1,032 lanemetre capacity ro-ro is returning to Europe after completing two charters to US-based operators. The 5,873 gt 1990 built ro-ro will arrive at Denmark’s FAYARD shiprepair facility on 16 May for drydocking and refit.

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The alternative Fuels & Propulsions session at the 2022 Shippax Ferry Conference

Frederik Erdmann, Robin Meech, Per Westling, Christer Bruzelius, Jens Peter Baltsersen, Eivind Solvang and Robin Tomren © George Giannakis

On day two of this year’s Shippax Ferry Conference we held the session “alternative Fuels & Propulsions, operators experience”. We invited operators to share both their real-life experiences with different fuels & propulsion methods, projects they are involved in and what visions they have for the future. The following speakers participated: Per Westling (Stena RoRo), Christer Bruzelius (Gotland Tech Development), Jens Peter Baltsersen (DFDS), Eivind Solvang (Norled) and Robin Tomren (Color Line).

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Fincantieri delivered VIKING MARS to Viking

© Fincantieri

VIKING MARS has been delivered by Fincantieri's Ancona shipyard to the shipowner Viking. As its sister ships, it will be placed in the small cruise ship segment with about 47,800 gt, having 465 cabins with accommodation for 930 passengers.

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The Ferry Operators panel debate at the 2022 Shippax Ferry Conference

Frederik Erdmann, Antonio Raimo, Jan Hanses, Paavo Nõgene, Peter Hebblethwaite, Spiros Paschalis, Jens Meinhard Rasmussen and Rickard Ternblom © George Giannakis

On day one of this year’s Shippax Ferry Conference we held the traditional Ferry Operators panel debate. This 1h15m long debate is one of the true highlights at the conference and provides many interesting and useful insights into the operation of some of the major ferry operators. The session, which was moderated by Frederik Erdmann and Rickard Ternblom, was this year attended by Antonio Raimo (Grimaldi Group), Jan Hanses (Viking Line), Paavo Nõgene (Tallink Grupp), Peter Hebblethwaite (P&O Ferries), Spiros Paschalis (Attica Group) and Jens Meinhard Rasmussen (Smyril Line).

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Havila Voyages can’t get insurance for HAVILA CAPELLA

HAVILA CAPELLA © Tom Gulbrandsen

Norway’s Havila Voyages can’t get insurance for its Russian sanctions affected ferry HAVILA CAPELLA, which means that its next sailing on the Norwegian Coastal Express service between Bergen and Kirkenes on 15 May has had to be cancelled.

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Morocco details summer fleets and re-opens to passenger traffic from Spain

In 2019, the last time OPE took place, almost 3.5 million people and some 800,000 vehicles crossed the Strait of Gibraltar between 15 June and 15 September © Puerto de Algeciras

After a two-year ban on maritime passenger traffic from Spain, partly due to the COVID pandemic, and partly due to politics, Morocco announced that passenger traffic could resume between Spanish and Moroccan ports. Balearia, FRS, InterShipping and Africa Morocco Link (AML) promptly resumed within days, but strangely, Armas-Trasmediterranea did not, apparently due to Moroccan pressure for the company to remove their abandoned/beached ferry ASSALAMA from the port of Tarfaya, following an incident when the said ferry hit the breakwater in 2008. However, they are named below as a summer operator.

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Silversea Cruises looks to renew expedition fleet with newbuildings

2020-built SILVER ORIGIN is one of four expedition cruise vessels in the Silversea Cruises fleet © Silversea Cruises

In a move to rejuvenate its ageing fleet, Silversea Cruises is to order a number of new expedition vessels. Roberto Martindi, Silversea’s President and CEO said the Miami-based operator is “100 per cent” considering new expedition vessels, but wouldn’t confirm the exact number or size of the vessels.

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Scandro Holdings Ltd to operate revived Limassol-Piraeus ro-pax service from June with chartered ferry DALEELA

DALEELA, here as GRAND PEACE © Grand Shipping Line

Cyprus’ Ministry of Shipping has decided on the operator of the revived Cyprus to Greece ro-pax service, which will start in June. Newly established Nicosia-based Scandro Holdings Ltd beat off completion from two other shortlisted bidders to secure the three-year contract to run this Cypriot government support service.

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Seajets acquires fast ferry SPEEDRUNNER III

SPEEDRUNNER III is a sister ship to SUPERRUNNER JET bought by Seajets a year ago © Seajets

Greek ferry operator Seajets has further added to its fleet with the acquisition of the fast ferry SPEEDRUNNER III from Aegean Speed Lines. The high-speed monohull that currently operates services in the western Cyclades, will be handed over to her new owners in May.

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SunStone Ships to build up to 10 next-generation Boundless-class expedition vessels but won’t get a seventh Infinity-class vessel

GREG MORTIMER was the lead ship in the Infinity-class © SunStone

Miami-based SunStone Ships is to build up to 10 next-generation Boundless-class expedition vessels in China. However, these vessels, slightly larger than SunStone’s Infinity-class vessels building at China Merchants Industries Holdings Co Ltd (CMIH), will not be built by this yard, as the Miami-based operator and the China Merchants Industries seem to have had a falling out, the result of which is that SunStone’s seventh Infinity-class vessel, OCEAN DISCOVERER, will not now be built.

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Grimaldi introduces third ro-ro on its Venice-Bari-Patras service

EUROCARGO CAGLIARI joins two of its sister ships on the route © Marc Ottini

Grimaldi introduced a third freight ro-ro on its Venice-Bari-Patras service on 4 May, the 3,810 lanemetre capacity EUROCARGO CAGLIARI, further boosting the Italian operator’s freight connections between Italy and Greece.

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Keel laid for Explora Journey’s second luxury cruise vessel, EXPLORA II

Illustration of the vessels © Explora Journey

The keel of new MSC Cruises’ brand Explora Journey’s second luxury 63,900 gt, 922 passenger capacity EXPLORA II, was laid on 5 May at Fincantieri’s Castellammare di Stabia shipyard.

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DFDS off to a good 2022 start

AURA SEAWAYS © George Giannakis

DFDS increased its 2022 Q1 revenue to DKK 5.7 billion (DKK 3.8 billion), while EBITDA ended at DKK 822 million (DKK 750 million). Outlook for 2022 is EBITDA at range DKK 3.9-4.4bn (2021: DKK 3.4bn) and revenue growth increased to around 30% (previously 23-27%).

Ferry Division’s revenue was increased by higher freight and passenger activity as well as a rise in bunker surcharge revenue. Logistics Division’s revenue was increased by the acquisition of HSF Logistics Group in September 2021 and ICT Logistics in January 2022 as well as higher activity and yield increases for the existing activities. Group revenue increased 52% to DKK 5.7 billion.

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A strong first quarter of 2022 for Finnlines

Finnlines sold FINNCLIPPER to Grimaldi Group in March 2022, but will soon purchase VIZZAVONA (photo) from the Parent to replace FINNCLIPPER © Jean-Pierre Fabre

Emanuele Grimaldi, President and CEO, “The Finnlines Group recorded revenue totalling EUR 157.0 (124.1) million in the first quarter of 2022, an increase of 27% compared to the same reporting period in the previous year. Shipping and Sea Transport Services generated revenue amounting to EUR 150.6 (117.8) million, of which passenger related revenue was EUR 7.5 (5.1) million. The revenue of Port Operations was EUR 12.1 (11.7) million. Cargo volumes are clearly above the 2021 level, and the number of passengers also increased compared to 2021. Revenue of Port Operations also increased due to the growth of cargo.

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MacGregor has received an order to supply RoRo equipment to an LNG-powered RoRo vessel

MacGregor patented soft flaps

MacGregor, part of Cargotec, has been selected to supply RoRo equipment for a LNG-powered RoRo vessel being built by Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft (FSG) for the Tasmanian-based Australian shipping company, SeaRoad.
The order was booked into Cargotec’s 2022 first quarter order intake. The vessel is scheduled to be delivered in the last quarter of 2023.

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Ferry REGULA additional trips in summer 2022

TS Laevad's REGULA © Uwe Jakob

The subsidiary of AS Tallinna Sadam, OÜ TS Laevad, signed an additional agreement with the Estonian Transport Administration based on the public passenger transport service Transport Administration will order additionally 536 trips with the ferry REGULA on Virtsu-Kuivastu line from 1 June to 31 August 2022. In addition, Transport Administration has the option to extend the order of additional trips for additional period until 2 October by giving at least 30 days’ notice prior to the period start. The start of the additional voyage period as early as 1 June is a very good message for islanders and visitors, as the ship has not arrived at the route this early, but the need clearly exists, as vehicle volumes have exceeded all previous years for the first four months.

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Port of Gothenburg first quarter summary – freight volumes increasing

© Gothenburg Port Authority

The global logistics system still pressured and continues to be affected by disruptions. While Covid-19-restrictions are lifted around the world, parts of Asia are suffering lockdowns with global repercussions. The Russian invasion of Ukraine affects European as well as global trade. In the Port of Gothenburg however, volumes continue to increase. This is shown in the port's volume summary for the first quarter of 2022.

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MAN Cryo lands world-first

© Wallenius

MAN Cryo announced the signing of a contract with Yantai CIMC Raffles Shipyard for the delivery of the fuel-gas supply systems (FGSSs) to a new series of two dual-fuel, 6,500 pure car carriers for Wallenius Marine on charter to Volkswagen.

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Heritage Expeditions Selects VIKAND for Medical Management aboard new flagship Expedition Vessel, HERITAGE ADVENTURER

HERITAGE ADVENTURER © Jason Ransom

VIKAND—the global maritime medical operations and public health provider—has entered into a medical management agreement with pioneering small ship expedition cruise company Heritage Expeditions to manage all medical operations aboard its new exploration vessel, HERITAGE ADVENTURER. With a distinguished pedigree and holding records for the most northern and southern Arctic and Antarctic navigations, HERITAGE ADVENTURER holds a 1A Super iceclass rating. She accommodates just 140 guests in her spacious, stylish, and comfortable interior while a fleet of 14 Zodiacs ensures guests are able to maximize every opportunity to learn, discover and experience as much as possible.

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There is no such thing as a zero-emission ferry! By OSK-ShipTech A/S

A zero-emission ship does not exist! One can no longer ignore the CO2 emissions generated from manufacturing, and the shipping industry should steer a different course from the one that is focusing only on the CO2 emissions from the fuel. © OSK-ShipTech

In its strive towards net-zero emissions come 2050, the shipping industry should steer a different course from the one that is focusing only on the CO2 emissions from the fuel. We must focus on the broader picture in the CO2 emissions debate. This is the unambiguous message from OSK-ShipTech, the Danish naval architecture consultancy, which has been instrumental for the designs of many recent high-profile ro-pax ferries.

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Survitec fire system for new Spirit of Tasmania ferries

Illustration of SPIRIT OF TASMANIA IV © RMC

Survival Technology solutions provider Survitec has secured a contract to supply advanced fire-fighting systems to a pair of 48,000 grt LNG dual-fuelled eco ferries under construction at Finland’s Rauma Marine Constructions (RMC) for Australian shipowner Spirit of Tasmania (TT-Line Company Pty Ltd).

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Carnival Cruise Line breaks ground on new cruise port destination on Grand Bahama Island

With a strong showing of validation of the cruise industry’s return and optimism, and reflecting a long-standing partnership between Carnival Cruise Line and The Bahamas, Carnival, in cooperation with the Grand Bahama Port Authority and the Government of The Bahamas, held a groundbreaking ceremony for its new cruise port destination on Grand Bahama Island.

DFDS: April volume report: Freight Up 5%, Continued Passenger Recovery

Ferry – freight: Total volumes in April 2022 were 5.4% above 2021 driven by higher volumes in the Mediterranean and Channel business units.
Volumes in the Mediterranean network continued to grow supported by higher capacity. Channel’s volumes were well above last year due to a positive impact from a competitor’s suspension of sailings through most of the month.

Strong first quarter for Ports of Stockholm

Ports of Stockholm is one of the world's largest passenger ports and one of Sweden's largest freight ports. The figures for the first quarter of 2022 show growth across all business segments. The important transport of goods via Ports of Stockholm's ports functioned very well throughout the entire pandemic, even showing an increase in 2021. The first quarter of 2022 shows a further rise of 73,000 tonnes of RoRo freight, which equates to growth of four percent compared to 2021.

AS Tallink Grupp statistics for April 2022

In April 2022 AS Tallink Grupp transported 465 945 passengers, which is a 452.4% increase compared to April 2021. The number of cargo units increased by 14.9% to 33 875 units and the number of passenger vehicles increased by 127.7% to 61 083 units in the same comparison.

Meyer Turku reaches a satisfactory result in the midst of a protracted pandemic

The Meyer Turku Group financial figures for 2021 were published.
The company's turnover was EUR 1.08 billion. It is somewhat higher than in the previous year, but the result for the financial year was a loss of EUR 17.0 million.

Finnlines’ Board of Directors appoints Tom Pippingsköld as the new President and CEO and Thomas Doepel as the new Vice President and Deputy CEO of Finnlines

Finnlines’ Board of Directors has appointed Tom Pippingsköld as the new President and CEO of Finnlines Plc. Tom Pippingsköld will take up his position as CEO on 5 May 2022. Finnlines’ current President and CEO, Emanuele Grimaldi, will continue in the Company as Chairman of the Board of Directors.

Mr Emanuele Grimaldi nominated new Chairman of the Board of Directors of Finnlines

Mr Emanuele Grimaldi, President and CEO of Finnlines Plc, has been elected as the new Chairman of the Board. Mr Grimaldi succeeds Mr Jon-Aksel Torgersen, the longtime Chairman of Finnlines’ Board of Directors. Mr Torgersen will continue as a member of Finnlines’ Board of Directors. Mr Diego Pacella, has been elected as Vice Chairman of the Board.

Trasmapi starts this summer a new fast-ferry route between Mallorca and Menorca

The Ibizan shipping company, with 48 years of service vocation and maritime tradition in passenger transport between the Pitiusas, is firmly committed to its expansion in the Balearic Islands, providing a dimension of proximity and locality to the communities in which it operates.

Joining forces to tackle biofouling

A new international effort initiated by environmental NGO Bellona and supported by Jotun and other leading companies in the maritime industry, aims to develop an industry standard for proactive hull cleaning to tackle the global biofouling issue.

Royal Caribbean Group reports first quarter 2022 results and provides a business update

Royal Caribbean Group reported first quarter 2022 net loss of USD (1.2) billion and loss per share of USD (4.58). The Group continues to make strides in its return to operations in a strong demand environment. Load factors continue to improve sequentially with total revenue per Passenger Cruise Day up versus record 2019 levels. Operating cash flow significantly improved throughout the first quarter and approached breakeven in March.

MOL and CAEM signs a contract for development and use of new Marine Exhaust Treatment System for car carriers in California

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. announced that MOL has agreed a contract to provide the funds for Clean Air Engineering Maritime, Inc, a ship-auxiliary generator exhaust treatment company, to develop a new-generation Marine Exhaust Treatment System for use on MOL operating car carriers from 2025 to prevent air pollutions in California, U.S.A.

ECSA appoints Sotiris Raptis as Secretary General

Sotiris Raptis has been appointed by the General Assembly to lead the European Community Shipowners’ Associations as its new Secretary General.

Tallink Grupp to launch new Ship’s Wines and Beers onboard from 2 May 2022

Tallink Grupp launches Tallink & Silja Line Ship’s Wines and Beers 2022 - an exclusive collection of 5 private label wines and 2 craft beers from Europe’s choice producers, available onboard the company’s Tallink and Silja Line vessels from 2 May 2022 over the next two years.

Carnival Corporation Installs Environmentally Innovative Food Waste Biodigesters

Carnival Corporation announced it has completed the installation of nearly 600 food waste biodigesters across its fleet in support of ongoing food waste management and reduction efforts as part of its overall commitment to environmental compliance. The innovative technology has been added to ships from the company's nine cruise line brands – Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Seabourn, P&O Cruises (Australia), Costa Cruises, AIDA Cruises, P&O Cruises (UK) and Cunard.