Shippax Newsletter– week 24
Transaction of historic route: A stand-alone project for both parties
Håkan Johansson, CEO of Gotlandsbolaget, and Torben Carlsen, CEO of DFDS
Gotlandsbolaget's latest step in expanding into the cruiseferry segment will not involve the Åland joint-venture partner in Gotland Alandia Cruises. At the same time, DFDS emphasizes that it still has long-term plans to develop the only remaining route in the network currently based on cruiseferry tonnage, following the news of a Danish-Swedish transaction of the historic Copenhagen-Oslo route.
DFDS to sell Oslo-Frederikshavn-Copenhagen route to Gotlandsbolaget
PEARL SEAWAYS © Maritime Photographic
DFDS will sell mini-cruise route between Norway and Denmark to Swedish shipping company Gotlandsbolaget. The decision will ensure that the route receives the future focus and investments needed to further develop, while DFDS strengthens the focus on its core business within freight, passenger transport and logistics. The sale price is around DKK 400m.
DFDS May volumes: both freight and passenger continued to grow
Total freight volumes in May 2024 were 6.9% above 2023 and up 3.8% adjusted for the addition of Strait of Gibraltar routes in 2024 and closure of the Calais-Tilbury route in 2023. The number of passengers in May 2024 was 49.2% above 2023 and up 17.0% adjusted for addition of the Strait of Gibraltar routes.
World’s largest car carrier receives LR Approval in Principle
Lloyd’s Register (LR) has awarded Approval in Principle (AiP) to the Marine Design & Research Institute of China (MARIC) for a dual-fuel 12,800 CEU capacity PCTC design - the world’s largest car carrier. The vessel is equipped with an advanced ammonia-fuel power system. Solar energy and batteries can also be integrated.
TUI Cruises takes delivery of methanol ready MEIN SCHIFF 7
Meyer Turku delivered MEIN SCHIFF 7 to TUI Cruises, the first vessel with methanol readiness built at the shipyard. Mein Schiff 7 is the seventh ship of the Mein Schiff series built at the Turku shipyard.
MEIN SCHIFF 7 is the first ship in the MEIN SCHIFF fleet to run exclusively on low-emission marine diesel (with maximum sulphur content of 0.1%). The ship has a shore power connection and is equipped with catalytic converters. In addition, MEIN SCHIFF 7 is built so that it can also run on methanol, which with the green methanol of the future will make the ship's propulsion power almost CO2-neutral. MEIN SCHIFF 7 is the first vessel with methanol capability built at the Meyer Turku shipyard.
Baleària adds the DENIA CIUTAT CREATIVA to the route between Motril and Tangier Med
DENIA CIUTAT CREATIVA © Baleària
Baleària has incorporated the DENIA CIUTAT CREATIVA ferry into the daily maritime line that connects the Port of Motril with the Moroccan port of Tangier Med. Last year, Baleària carried more than 20,000 passengers and 246,000 lane metres of cargo on the route.
Hvide Sande Shipyard to build a 4 MWh electric ferry for Torghatten
© The Norwegian Ship Design Company
The Danish Hvide Sande Shipyard will build a new 50-metre all-electric ferry for Torghatten, the largest to date for the yard. The 4 MWh-battery ferry will have a capacity of 30 cars and up to 149 passengers and will operate in the Tromsø area north of the Arctic Circle. The project is already well underway, and the hull (158) is expected to be delivered to Hvide Sande in the summer of 2025 so that outfitting can begin.
MIDAS contract with DFDS extended
Godby Shipping's MIDAS contract with DFDS has been extended. DFDS have used their option and extended the contract for MIDAS so that it is now valid until 31 September 2024.
WSF finally goes out to tender for five new plug-in hybrid ferries
Washington State Ferries (WSF) has finally gone out to tender for the construction of five plug-in hybrid-electric passenger/vehicle ferries. Deliveries are expected to start from 2028.
The five new ferries will serve WSF two routes Seattle-Bremerton and Clinton-Mukilteo and will each be able to carry 1,500 passengers and 160 cars. They will be slightly longer than the current diesel-electric powered Olympic-class, which were built between 2014 and 2018.
Red Funnel to invest GBP 100 million in three new cross-Solent ferries
RED OSPREY © Frank Lose
Red Funnel is embarking on a three-ship GBP 100 million fleet renewal programme for its service between Southampton and East Cowes, on the Isle of Wight. The three new passenger/vehicle ferries will replace the company’s three ageing Raptor-class vessels, two of which are now 30-years old. At the moment the three new ferries will be hybrid vessels, powered by conventional diesels. Red Funnel is not yet ready to take the battery-powered vessel route.
RED JET 4 sold to South Korea
Meanwhile, after 21-years service for Red Funnel on its high-speed passenger service from Southampton to West Cowes the fast ferry RED JET 4 has left the waters of the Solent for a new life in South Korea for Nam Hae Express Co
Mitsubishi Shipbuilding holds christening and launch ceremony for the TRANS HARMONY GREEN
Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., held a christening and launch ceremony for the TRANS HARMONY GREEN, the first of two LNG-powered 3,000-CEU capacity PCTCs under construction for Toyofuji Shipping Co., Ltd. TRANS HARMONY GREEN will serve on routes in Asia after its scheduled handover in late January 2025.
Fixing the 15%: the case for fuel cells
© Norwegian Ship Design Company (NSDC)
As we look ahead, with further regulation and changes on the horizon, shipowners and cargo owners could be excused for being perplexed by a series of simultaneous challenges – however, fuel cells can help many owners rise to these challenges, says Johan Burgren, Business Manager Marine at PowerCell Group.
JIAN ZHEN HAO enters service between China and Japan
© CMI Jinling Weihai
IAN ZHEN HAO, China-Japan International Ferry (CHINJIF) 's new ship left Shanghai for Osaka on 8 June 2024 and entered service on the Shanghai (China)-Osaka (Japan) route.
JIAN ZHEN HAO was built by CMI Jinling Weihai and designed by SDARI. The vessel can accommodate 192 passengers and 334 TEU. The ro-pax has a length of 167.2m, 25.0m beam and a 21-knot service speed.
Sweden's first OPS for cruise ships soon a reality in Ports of Stockholm
Sweden's first and one of Europe's first onshore power supply for cruise ships has passed an important milestone through test calls with ships in central Stockholm. Over 35 cruise ships are expected to connect by October this year.
Ferry REGULA additional trips in summer 2024
REGULA © Uwe Jakob
The subsidiary of AS Tallinna Sadam, OÜ TS Laevad, signed an additional agreement with the Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agricultural. Based on the public passenger transport service, the Ministry will order additionally up to 375 trips with the ferry REGULA on the Virtsu-Kuivastu line from 20 June to 4 August 2024.
Second Islay ferry successfully launched
© Brian Fulton
LOCH INDAAL was launched on Saturday 8 June at Cemre Marin Endustri shipyard in Yalova, Turkey.
The vessel is the second of four ferries being built at the yard and will serve Islay and Jura alongside sister vessel, ISLE OF ISLAY, which was launched in March.
Scheduled for delivery in February 2025, LOCH INDAAL will significantly boost capacity on the Islay routes, with the ability to accommodate up to 450 passengers and 100 cars, or 14 commercial vehicles. This addition will increase vehicle and freight capacity by 40% on the Islay routes, strengthening the overall fleet's resilience.
Irish Ferries name changes for Dover Calais and Holyhead Dublin ships
OSCAR WILDE © George Holland
Irish Ferries announced that the ship currently called OSCAR WILDE serving the Holyhead to Dublin and Dublin to Cherbourg routes, is to be renamed the JAMES JOYCE, and the recently acquired SPIRIT OF BRITAIN will be renamed as OSCAR WILDE. OSCAR WILDE will join the Irish Ferries fleet on the Dover to Calais route later this month replacing the ISLE OF INNISFREE, which will move to the Pembroke to Rosslare route.
Boreal Sjø and Torghatten Nord awarded contracts for ferry operations
In March, the ferry connections in Finnmark were put out to tender so that new contracts are in place from 1 January 2026. The offers received have now been evaluated, and contracts have been awarded to Boreal Sjø and Torghatten Nord.
The ferry connections Korsfjord–Nyvoll and Klokkarøya–Kjerringholmen will be operated by electric ferries from 1 January 2026.
How much does it cost to travel by ferry in Europe?
© John Bryant
Vivanoda, a web platform that enables all travellers to find ferry, bus, train and plane tickets, launched a major study and analysed tens of thousands of ferry fares on hundreds of routes in Europe, as well as crossings to Turkey and the Maghreb countries (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia), in order to get as exhaustive a picture as possible of ferry ticket prices according to a number of criteria.
More than 20,000 LH2 fuel crossings performed by HYDRA
HYDRA with the white hydrogen tank visible. The steam is water steam © Norled
HYDRA has been operating utilizing liquid hydrogen (LH2) as fuel since March 2023. Norled reports that the regularity has been perfect, the technology is proven, and HYDRA has now conducted 20,000 fjord crossings with LH2 as fuel.
At Viganeset lumber quay in Hjelmeland (the LH2 bunkering capital of the world), Norled is now achieving a bunkering rate of more than 70 kg/min.
Wasaline introduces voluntary climate compensation also for passengers
AURORA BOTNIA © Wasaline
Now passengers on the Vaasa-Umeå route can also compensate for their journey by paying a nominal voluntary fee. The goal for Wasaline is to reduce the climate footprint by at least 5% each year, and to operate climate-neutrally in Kvarken by 2030.
Telenor Maritime and Red Bull MOBILE launch exclusive partnership
Telenor Maritime and Red Bull Mobile have signed a roaming agreement that allows Red Bull MOBILE to offer affordable data plans to passengers roaming into the Telenor Maritime mobile network on board ships.
By downloading the Red Bull MOBILE eSIM app and purchasing the Maritime package, passengers can surf at predictable and affordable costs while they are sailing. The app-based eSIM enables passengers from any location to browse the internet worldwide, without the worry of bill shocks.
Decatrip Project Completed – RMC, Viking Line, Åbo Akademi, and Kempower Collaborate to Create a Green Maritime Corridor Between Turku and Stockholm
VIKING GLORY © Viking Line
The innovative project Decatrip, which began in 2022, has been completed. The project enables the development of one of the world’s first carbon-neutral sea routes. RMC explored how existing ships could be modified to become more environmentally friendly. The company is now equipped to modernise ships, enhancing their environmental friendliness.
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