Shippax News Bulletin – 22
- In association with Interferry
Dear Subscriber,
Please find the headlines of the news added to the Shippax website during week 22.
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Have a nice weekend!
PETER PAN back in service
TT-Line’s PETER PAN is finally back in service following her 30-metre lengthening and rebuild at German Dry Docks.
Keel laid for Red Funnel’s first ever freight-only ferry RED KESTREL
The keel was laid for UK cross-Solent ferry operator Red Funnel’s first ever freight-only ferry on 31 May, at the British shipbuilder Cammell Laird’s shipyard at Birkenhead. The double-ended vessel will be named RED KESTREL and enter service on the company’s Southampton-East Cowes route in the spring of 2019.
Financials
Further growth for Clipper Group’s ferry subsidiaries
Seatruck Ferries
The total number of units, including trade cars, grew by another 6%, from 343,446 in 2016 to 361,750 in 2017. The total freight volumes grew by 10%, from 307,518 in 2016 to 338,853 in 2017. Seatruck Ferries’ market share of the Irish Sea ro-ro market is now 19.6%, up from 17.9% in 2016.
Danske Færger
Danske Færger continued to grow in 2017, and the number of passengers increased by 4.3% from 2016, ending at 4.466 million. The number of cars grew by 6.3%, ending at 1.195 million. The company also mentioned increased onboard sales.
Fjord Line 2017 full year result
Fjord Line reached a turnover of NOK 1.359 billion in 2017, compared to NOK 1.169 billion in 2016. EBITDA ended at NOK 307,4 million, up from NOK 201,5 million in 2016.
Fjord Line carried 1,278,931 passengers in 2017, compared to 1,224,045 in 2016. 386,932 cars and 65,882 trailers were transported, compared to 371,702 cars and 60,524 trailers in 2016.
Stena AB Q1 2018 financial results
Ferry Operation
- Revenue increased from SEK 2,472 million in the first quarter of 2017 to SEK 2,701 million in the first quarter of 2018. EBITDA reached SEK 240 million (SEK 218 million).
Shipping
- Revenue increased from SEK 678 million in the first quarter of 2017 to SEK 1,419 million in the first quarter of 2018. EBITDA for the shipping activities reached SEK 113 million (SEK 146 million), of this the ro-ro activities amounted for SEK 70 million (SEK 102 million).
Switch of flag wins the nod for Minoan Lines
Flying the Greek flag with an increased Greek crew appears to have swayed Greece’s Shipping and Island Policy minister, Panagiotis Kouroumplis, as he grants Minoan Lines the right to sail the Piraeus-Chania route.
Atlânticoline appoints Armon to build replacement vessel for MESTRE SIMÃO – three yards in the running to build larger ro-pax for Atlânticoline
According to Spanish sources, Atlânticoline has selected Astilleros Armon to build a replacement ship for the ill-fated MESTRE SIMÃO which ran aground on 6 January and has meanwhile been declared a constructive total loss.
Isle of Man Government completes Isle of Man Steam Packet Co purchase
On 25 May, the Isle of Man Government has completed the acquisition of the Isle of Man Steam Packet Co at a price of GBP 124.3 million.
Baleària takes on the DUBA BRIDGE
With a difficult charter market in play, Baleària has had to search long and hard for extra tonnage required for the northern summer. This time, it has come up with a 1976 Australian-built ferry, DUBA BRIDGE, which was sold by European Seaways to Egypt in fall 2017.
Africa Morocco Link strengthens its fleet
As earlier reported Africa Morocco Link (AML), the Greek-Moroccan ferry operator, has chartered in the Cypriot flagged GALAXY for the summer period. The 1979 Polish-built ferry has a capacity for 900 passengers and some 270 cars.
Two Torghatten Nord double-enders launched
The first of the two 129-metre double-enders built by VARD for Torghatten Nord has been launched at the Romanian facility in Braila. The ferry with yard number 878 will be followed by a second unit, yard number 879, from the same yard.
HH Ferries introduced charging stations for electric cars
On 25 May during the Nordics’ largest electric Car Rally 2018, HH Ferries officially inaugurated its new charging stations for electric cars at the ferry port in Helsingborg.
Red Funnel starts upgrade work on its East Cowes terminal and new freight vessel layby berth
UK cross-Solent ferry operator Red Funnel has started upgrade work on its East Cowes terminal for its three Raptor Class ro-paxes on the Southampton-Cowes route, as well as preparing the terminal for the arrival of its new freight-only ro-ro.
Scotland’s Northern Isles ferry services put out for tender
Transport for Scotland has done a complete U-turn on the future of the Northern Isles ferry services, reversing its earlier decision to nationalise the services and instead has decided to put the routes out to tender again in June. This has raised hopes that the Northern Isles (Orkney and Shetland) could secure improved ferry services, something that islanders have been calling for in recent years.
FRIDTJOF NANSEN delayed as well
According to trade sources, Hurtigruten has informed travel agents about a delay in delivery of its second new expedition ship FRIDTJOF NANSEN.
AIDA takes COSTA NEORIVIERA
AIDA Cruises will strengthen its fleet in late 2019 by adding the AIDAmira, the former COSTA NEORIVIERA. The ship will sail under the ‘AIDA selection’ programme which focuses on unusual itineraries and longer port stays.
Armas takes control: first step
The ink is not yet dry regarding the approval of Naviera Armas’s takeover of Trasmediterranea, but the first step has been taken with the announcement that Armas has agreed as part of the takeover package, to give up the Motril to Melilla route to new entrant FRS. Shippax understands that the vessel operating this route, the VOLCAN DE TINAMAR, has now been re-assigned to Trasmediterranea’s route between Barcelona and Mahon (Menorca) from 8 June.
Fosen Yard to conduct major refurbishments for Hurtigruten
Hurtigruten has signed a contract with Fosen Yard to conduct major refurbishments of two ships, the 1993-built RICHARD WITH and 1994-built NORDLYS. RICHARD WITH will be the first to go to the yard in November this year in what is the most extensive refurbishment programme ever conducted on Hurtigruten’s ships.
Niels Smedegaard new Chairman of Danish Shipping
The DFDS CEO, Niels Smedegaard, has been elected as the new Chairman of Danish Shipping after Claus V. Hemmingsen, Vice CEO of A.P-Moller-Maersk and CEO of the Energy division, stepped down as a result of the rotation principle adopted by the association. Claus V. Hemmingsen will continue as Deputy Chairman.
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