Pentland Ferries’ Vietnamese newbuilding delayed until the end of October – while company considers new service to Shetland

Scottish ferry operator Pentland Ferries, which operates a single vessel service linking the Scottish mainland with Orkney, has told Shippax that its newbuilding passenger/vehicle ferry building in Vietnam will not arrive in Orkney for this year’s summer season.

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Keel laying ceremony for SEVEN SEAS SPLENDOR at Fincantieri

On 28 June, SEVEN SEAS SPLENDOR had her keel laid at Fincantieri’s Ancona shipyard. The 55,000gt cruise ship, with expected delivery in early 2020, is a sister to the 2016-delivered SEVEN SEAS EXPLORER.

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Keel laid for Saga Cruises’ SPIRIT OF DISCOVERY

On 28 June, the keel was laid at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg for Saga Cruises’ 58,250gt SPIRIT OF DISCOVERY. The cruise ship – with yard number S714 – is expected for delivery in June 2019, replacing the 1981-built and 18,591gt SAGA PEARL II.

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Southern Spain updates

Trasmediterranea has announced that the Austal-built ro-pax catamaran ALCANTARA DOS will perform a weekly round trip between Malaga and Melilla, commencing this Friday, 29 June, and running until 31 August.

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San Francisco Bay’s first fuel cell ferry project gets major boost

The project to build the first fuel cell ferry to operate on San Francisco Bay has taken a major step forward, with developer and project leader Golden Gate Zero Emission Marine (GGZEM) securing funding to boost its plans to build America’s first fuel cell-powered passenger ferry.

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HH Ferries beat the Öresund bridge during the month of May

During the month of May, HH Ferries – the Helgsingborg-Helsingør ferry operator – carried 4,256 more trucks than during the month of April. A total of 43,641 freight vehicles were counted.

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Reconstruction and expansion work at Tallinn’s Terminal D started

On 25 June the EUR 17 million reconstruction and expansion work at Tallinn’s Terminal D was initiated – a work that will see the terminal building double in size to 16,107m² together with new facades and technological upgrades.

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Irish Ferries cancels sailings of ULYSSES for emergency drydocking in Belfast

If Irish Ferries didn’t have enough problems on its hands at present with the late arrival of its new ro-pax W.B. YEATS from Germany’s FSG, things got even worse on 26 June when the company had to take its flagship, the ro-pax ULYSSES, off its Dublin-Holyhead service for an emergency drydocking at Belfast’s Harland and Wolff shipyard to rectify “technical issues.”

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GREG MORTIMER’s keel laid

The keel has been laid for the lead ship in a series of polar class expedition cruise ships built by China Merchants Industry Holdings Co., Ltd. (CMIH) for Miami-based SunStone. The vessel, named GREG MORTIMER will be chartered to Australia’s Aurora expeditions when delivered in August 2019 for the company’s 2019-2020 Antarctic cruise programme.

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Molslinjen likely to acquire Danske Færger (Færgen)

The Danish competition authority (Konkurrence- og Forbrugerstyrelsen) has received a notification from Molslinjen with the company’s intention to acquire all shares in Danske Færger A/S from its two current owners - Clipper Group and the Danish Government, both currently owning 50% each of the shares.

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Financing in place for ÆRØEXPRESSEN – construction can begin

The project to build a ferry for the Marstal (Ærø)-Rudkøbing (Langeland) route has entered into a new phase as financing is in place. ÆrøXpressen A/S has signed a contract with the Hvide Sande Shipyard A/S for the construction of ÆRØEXPRESSEN.

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Second quarter financial results for Carnival Corporation

Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK) announced U.S. GAAP net income of USD 561 million, or USD 0.78 diluted EPS, for the second quarter of 2018, higher than U.S. GAAP net income for the second quarter of 2017 of USD 379 million, or USD 0.52 diluted EPS. Revenues for the second quarter of 2018 were USD 4.4 billion, higher than the USD 3.9 billion in the prior year.

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COSTA VENEZIA floated out at Fincantieri’s Monfalcone shipyard

COSTA VENEZIA, Costa Cruises’ first ship designed specifically for the Chinese market, was floated out 22 June, at Fincantieri’s Monfalcone shipyard. The 135,500-gross-ton vessel will make her first vernissage cruise from Trieste on 3 March, leaving the Med for her 53-day ‘in the footsteps of Marco Polo’ inaugural cruise to Tokyo, via the Middle East, Southeast and East Asia, on 8 March.

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Ukrferry acquires ro-pax pair from DFDS

FERRYDFDS has agreed with Black Sea ferry operator Ukrferry to sell its 1989-built KAUNAS SEAWAYS and 1987-built VILNIUS SEAWAYS – ro-pax ferries that have been time chartered by Ukrferry since July 2015 and June 2013, respectively.

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Press releases

ExxonMobil issues best-practice tips for switching to low sulphur fuel

Guidance comes ahead of the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) 2020 0.5 per cent global sulphur cap. The fuels landscape is set to dramatically change when the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) 0.5 per cent sulphur cap comes into force on 1 January, 2020. Ahead of this, ExxonMobil has developed top tips to help the marine industry switch to low sulphur fuels while maintaining a vessel’s safe and reliable operation.

The Grimaldi Group will take advantage of Alfa Laval PureSOx scrubber connectivity on five ACL vessels

The Grimaldi Group, a long-time Alfa Laval PureSOx customer, has signed an agreement for PureSOx connectivity services on five vessels operated by Atlantic Container Line (ACL). The services will provide not only compliance monitoring, but also valuable data for use in optimizing PureSOx operation.

Rebranded ‘MAN Energy Solutions’ Replaces Former MAN Diesel & Turbo Name

MAN Energy Solutions represents a new vision, as reflected by a new, corporate design. The new branding embodies a strategic and technological transformation, a process the company had already begun back in 2017 by implementing its new strategy for the future: to expand its business with sustainable technologies and solutions such that they become its main source of revenue by 2030. This strategic realignment is supported by the expansion of MAN Energy Solutions’ product range to include hybrid, storage and digital service technologies.

ABB and Ballard Power Systems to jointly develop zero-emission fuel cell power plant for shipping industry

ABB, the pioneering technology leader, and Ballard Power Systems, the leading global provider of innovative clean energy fuel cell solutions, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on developing the next-generation fuel cell power system for sustainable marine e-mobility.

ClassNK releases Annual Report on Port State Control

Leading classification society ClassNK has released its annual report on Port State Control. The report aims to assist ship operators and management companies in maintaining compliant operations by providing information about ships detained by PSC as well as deficiencies that were found on board from many port states in 2017.

Official handover of Trimline’s latest investment

As part of Trimline's continuous improvement, the world-class marine interior outfitter has been looking at state-of-the-art manufacturing systems which give a broader range of capabilities. To that end, they have been working with leading spray booth & paint finishing manufacturer Junair to install an 'energy efficient paint spraying solution' which uses an advanced auxiliary air movement system and more efficient filters to allow cleaner air back in to the environment.

HYON AS: Receives world’s first approval-in-principle from DNV GL of module-based fuel cell solutions for use in maritime environment

As the first company ever, HYON AS (“HYON”) has received approval-in-principle from DNV GL of their module-based fuel cell solutions, adapted for maritime use. The approval builds on the MS-100 fuel cell from PowerCell and open for a general application of fuel cells in ships.

ABB to power new Virgin Voyages cruise ship fleet with highest energy efficiency

ABB to supply the complete electric power and propulsion package for the Virgin Voyages’ new fleet. The initial Virgin Voyages vessel, due for delivery in 2020, will be the first of a fleet of three innovative ships designed and built with environmental responsibility in mind. Each of the 110,000 gross ton vessels will feature ABB’s Azipod® propulsion, a gearless steerable propulsion system where the electric drive motor is in a submerged pod outside the ship hull. 

OSM launches mental health campaign to safeguard 11,000 seafarers

OSM has chosen The Day of the Seafarer to launch a global campaign aimed at safeguarding and improving the mental health of its 11,000 crewmembers. The year long initiative, christened How Healthy is Your Mind: An OSM Seafarers’ Guide to Positive Mental Health, will be pushed out across the 500 plus vessels managed by the business, addressing an increasingly pressing, but often overlooked, industry issue.

ABB brings efficiency and sustainability through system integration to two new Indian ferries

ABB signs contract with Cochin Shipyard Ltd, the largest shipbuilding and maintenance facility in India, to deliver a first-ever integrated power and automation package to an Indian shipowner. ABB’s contract with Cochin Shipyard Ltd covers two new 1,200-passenger ferries, to be delivered to the Andaman & Nicobar Administration in 2020. In a first for a shipowner in India, these vessels will benefit from a full integration of their power generation, distribution and propulsion systems, enabled by the ABB Ability™ System 800xA automation on board.

Largest gantry crane in the Nordic countries delivered to Meyer Turku

The largest gantry crane in the Nordic countries was delivered 19 June to Meyer Turku shipyard by Finnish Konecranes. Goliath crane will be used to build increasingly large cruise ships at Meyer Turku shipyard with an even higher degree of industrialization.

P&O Ferries launches new mobile app to upgrade the summer holiday experience for tourists

Customers who travel with P&O Ferries this summer will have their experience upgraded thanks to the launch of a new mobile app which will give them control of every aspect of their trip. 

AI, captain! Hitachi Partners with Stena Line to Implement Digital Technology in Shipping

Hitachi helps ferry operator Stena Line to increase business performance whilst maintaining commitment to sustainable shipping operations. Hitachi Europe Ltd., a subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE:6501), has partnered with Stena Line, one of the largest shipping companies in Europe, to implement artificial intelligence technology on ships to reduce fuel consumption costs and become an important tool in the company's efforts to minimise environmental impact.