NAOS reveals concept design of Corsica Ferries’ new Bastia-max ro-paxes

In May Corsica Sardinia Ferries announced that an ambitious newbuilding programme was in the making. The first artist’s impressions have now been released by NAOS Ship and Boat Design, the Trieste, Italy-headquartered naval architecture consultancy that has been assigned to develop the concept design.

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STENA FREIGHTER bought by Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin

Blue Origin, the Jeff Bezos-controlled aerospace manufacturer and spaceflights services company, appears to be the ‘surprise’ buyer of STENA FREIGHTER, sources close to Shippax have confirmed.

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Moby keeps Piombino on its freight map

Contrary to what was earlier announced by market sources and partly confirmed by shipowner Onorato, Moby will continue to accept freight on the Piombino-Olbia route.

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COPERNICUS in operation on the Swinoujscie-Trelleborg connection

Following several months of conversion to adapt the 1995-built ro-pax for the Swinoujscie-Trelleborg route with the installation of 25 new passenger and 15 new crew cabins, the ‘Viamare Class’ COPERNICUS was introduced on Unity Line's Swinoujscie-Trelleborg route earlier this month.

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Washington State Ferries unveils long-term strategy

Washington State Ferries (WSF) has unveiled a draft of its strategy for the next 20 years. This draft is subject to discussion with locals and ferry system users. The plan is to adjust the draft and vote the plan in January 2019.

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Seatruck Ferries further increases capacity on Liverpool-Dublin route

With SEATRUCK PRECISION and sister SEATRUCK PERFORMANCE having re-joined the Seatruck Ferries fleet adding 660 trailer slots per week on the Heysham-Warrenpoint route, Seatruck is moving its fleet around to better adapt capacity to demand.

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U.N. Ro-Ro fleet to be equipped with scrubbers

In the run up to the implementation of the 0.5% global sulphur cap, DFDS has decided to equip all twelve ships operated under the U.N. Ro-Ro banner with hybrid scrubbers to be supplied by ME Production, a Danish developer and manufacturer of customised gas cleaning systems for marine applications with whom DFDS has already cooperated in the past.

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Keel laid for the first Global Class cruise ship

On 11 September, the keel was laid at MV Werften for the first Global Class. The cruise ship will sail under Genting Hong Kong’s Dream Cruises banner – at 204,000gt she will become the largest cruise ship to date to be built in Germany.

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Green light from Trinidad and Tobago Government to order fast ro-pax cat at Austal

Keith Rowley, the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, has announced to go ahead with the order of a 94m ro-pax high-speed ferry to be built by Austal.

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Baleària and Fred. Oslen Express join forces to establish Canary Bridge Seaways

A new thrice weekly ferry service linking the Spanish mainland and the Canary Islands will start from mid-November under the name of Canary Bridge Seaways – a joint venture between Spanish ferry operators Baleària and Fred. Olsen Express using two vessels that will guarantee a comprehensive, reliable and quality service both for passengers, vehicles and freight.

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Tersan to build two vessels for Havila Kystruten

Havila Kystruten, the Norwegian company that won the ten-year ‘Kystruten’ concession together with Hurtigruten, has revealed that it has signed a contract with the Turkish Tersan Shipyard for the construction of two newbuilds the company will use when the concession starts on 1 January 2021.

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STENA SCANDINAVICA becomes artificial intelligence testbed

The Gothenburg-Kiel ro-pax ferry STENA SCANDINAVICA will serve as a guinea pig for an artificial intelligence (AI) pilot study Stena Line has launched to further reduce fuel consumption and its environmental footprint.

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All three former Tuule Laevad double-enders sold to Canada

Shippax recently reported that Labrador Marine Inc of Canada had acquired the 97.84m double-ender GRETE. More details have meanwhile emerged and it now appears that the Woodward Group-controlled ferry operator has also acquired GRETE’s two sister ships – SAAREMAA and HIIUMAA.

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Former VILLUM CLAUSEN on its way to the Med

After 18 years of sterling service on the Ystad-Rønne route, the Austal 86m high-speed catamaran VILLUM CLAUSEN left Bornholm for the Mediterranean on Saturday evening, 8 September.

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Major fjord ferry tenders issued in Norway

Norway has issued two major ferry tenders. The first one concerns the Halsa-Kanestraum route, whereas the second one covers the Mekjarvik-Kvitsøy route, currently operated by Fjord1 and Norled, respectively.

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Hyundai Mipo Dockyard delivers NEW GOLDEN BRIDGE VII

Hyundai Mipo Dockyard in Ulsan is about to deliver the NEW GOLDEN BRIDGE VII to Weidong Ferry. The Chinese ferry operator will introduce the 31,000gt ro-pax ferry between Weihai (China) and Incheon (Korea) on 15 September.

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Financials

Red ink for Moby Group

Moby Group’s total revenues for the six months ended 30 June 2018 were EUR 233.375 million (EUR 237.152 million 1H 2017), a decrease of EUR 3.777 million, mainly due to lower revenues from the group’s ferry (lower revenues from freight and passenger transport) and tugboat operations. The decrease of recurring EBITDA of EUR 33.772 million (from a positive EUR 24.989 million in 1H 2017 to a negative EUR 8.783 million in 1H 2018) is mainly related to a decrease of revenues, as pointed out above, an increase of costs for ‘consumption of raw materials and services’ mainly related to higher fuel costs, and a decrease in ‘other operating income’, taking the capital gain into account obtained in 2017 from the sale of DIMONIOS.

Press releases

New Scandinavian PR hub in Copenhagen led by Tina Baungaard-Jensen

The Scandinavian countries are surprisingly similar and at the same time very different. Norway, Sweden and Denmark are geographically close, but the business-culture and the mentality differ significantly. In light of this, EHRENBERG SØRENSEN Kommunikation now establishes a Scandinavian public relations department in Copenhagen.

The world’s energy demand will peak in 2035 prompting a reshaping of energy investment

Global spending on energy, as proportion of economic output, is set to slow sharply because the world’s energy demand will decline from 2035 onwards - that is according to DNV GL’s Energy Transition Outlook. The historically significant change in our energy needs is largely down to rapid electrification and its inherent efficiency.

Helm CONNECT hits 3000 vessel milestone

Leading marine software platform achieves record growth in just 24 months

High-flying Airbus technology comes down to Earth for use on ships

The company’s own transport vessels will be equipped with automated towing kites from an Airbus start-up.

Groundbreaking partnership for environmentally friendly cruise tourism in Mecklenburg- Western Pomerania

On September 11, 2018, around 280 executives of AIDA Cruises welcomed the prime minister of Mecklenburg- Western Pomerania, Manuela Schwesig at the AIDA Management Days in Rostock. The occasion was marked by the signing of a Declaration of Intend between AIDA Cruises, the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the Hanseatic and University City of Rostock and ROSTOCK PORT to jointly promote environmentally friendly and sustainable cruise shipping in Rostock.

Interferry conference set to drive debate on industry’s major issues

Keynote speakers from the military, merchant fleet and port sectors will feature when trade association Interferry addresses three of shipping’s most important issues – safety, security and the environment – at its 43rd annual conference in Cancun, Mexico, in early October.