Shippax Newsletter– week 37
Top short-sea ro-ro operators
Top 20 short-sea ro-ro operators fleet lanemetre capacities as of 1 April 2025 © Shippax
Following last week’s presentation of the Top 20 conventional ro-pax ferry operators’ fleets, we now present the Top short-sea ro-ro operators’ fleets by lanemetre capacity and market capacity shares as of 1 April 2025.
Shippax Market is our annual publication with traffic figures, statistics, analyses for the previous year covering the ferry, cruise, ro-ro and high-speed industry.
Grimaldi Group figure includes those of Grimaldi Euromed S.p.A, MMOS, and Finnlines. Stena Line figure includes that of AML. Wallenius SOL Group figure includes that of Wallenius SOL and Mann Lines.
Top ten short-sea ro-ro operators market capacity shares on 1 April 2025 © Shippax
Port of Kiel now offers one of the biggest shore power supply systems in Europe
© Port of Kiel
The port of Kiel has completed the final phase of construction on its extensive shore power infrastructure. With this new expansion, the port of Kiel can now supply up to three cruise ships and four ferries with emission-free electricity at the same time. The port has been providing green shore power to seagoing vessels since 2019, making it a pioneer in Europe.
Kasper Moos appointed new P&O Ferries Chief Executive
P&O Ferries announced the appointment of Kasper Moos as its new Chief Executive, effective as of late September, succeeding Peter Hebblethwaite.
Kasper Moos is a seasoned senior executive with extensive leadership experience in the maritime industry. He has held high-level roles at DFDS Group and AP Møller Mærsk.
Telenor Maritime announces CEO Transition
Telenor Maritime announced a leadership transition as Lars Erik Lunøe steps down after close to seven years as Chief Executive Officer. Magnus brings more than 20 years of global leadership experience in the telecommunications sector, with a strong track record in driving commercial growth, digital transformation, and operational excellence across both developed and emerging markets. His career spans senior roles across Scandinavia and Asia, most recently as Chief Business Officer at Telenor Pakistan.
Stena Line welcomes Sarah West as new UK & Ireland Ports Managing Director
Stena Line has announced a strategic restructuring of its Ports Leadership Team with the creation of a new Managing Director (MD) role for UK and Ireland Ports. The newly appointed MD, Sarah West, will join Stena Line in January 2026, bringing extensive experience and leadership to the role.
Wärtsilä to Power Denmark’s First High-Speed Electric Ferries
Wärtsilä will supply a fully integrated electric propulsion package, including waterjets, for two new high-speed battery-electric catamaran ferries ordered by Danish operator Molslinjen. Built by Incat Tasmania, the vessels will feature Wärtsilä's DC power conversion, energy management and automation systems, eight electric propulsion motors, and the ProTouch control system.
KILIMANJARO IX for Tanzanian operator Azam Marine launched at the Chinese AFAI Southern Shipyard
KILIMANJARO IX, a 53-metre fast ferry designed by global digital shipbuilder Incat Crowther for Azam Marine has been successfully launched by AFAI Southern Shipyard in Guangzhou, China and is now set for sea trials. The vessel is the 12th high-speed ferry designed by Incat Crowther for the Tanzanian operator and will service Azam Marine's popular routes to and from Dar-es-Salaam on the Tanzanian mainland and the islands of Zanzibar, Pemba, and Tanga.
SunStone takes delivery of DOUGLAS MAWSON as final Infinity Class vessel
SunStone Maritime Group A/S, the world's largest tonnage provider to the expedition cruise industry, announced the delivery of the seventh and final vessel in this first series of newbuilds, the DOUGLAS MAWSON. The delivery took place at China Merchants Heavy Industry in Haimen, China, on the 9th of September. Measuring 104.40 metres in length, 18.40 metres in width, and with a draft of 5.30 metres, the vessel offers a passenger capacity of 170, supported by a crew capacity of 102. Notably, the vessel is Ice Class 1A and Polar Class 6 certified, allowing it to operate in both warm and cold waters.
Astilleros Armón starts the construction of two Baleària electric fast ferries linking Spain and Morocco
Astilleros Armón (Gijón) has started construction of two 100% electric fast ferries for Baleària, which will operate the Tarifa–Tanger City route from 2027, making this line the first maritime green corridor between Spain and Morocco.
The twin catamarans, named MAROC 2030 and ESPANA 2030, will each be equipped with an electric power of 16 MW and batteries with a capacity of 13,000 kWh, enabling them to complete the entire 18-nautical-mile crossing exclusively on electricity.
Nearly 1.8 million travelled with Viking Line in summer 2025
GABRIELLA and VIKING GRACE © Jukka Huotari
Between June and August, a total of 1,780,000 passengers travelled on Viking Line's vessels, which is somewhat more than for the same period last year. Cargo volume on the company's five vessels increased 3.6 per cent. At the same time, greenhouse gas emissions decreased thanks to a substantial increase in biofuel purchases. This past summer was the first summer that Viking Line's passengers could choose a totally fossil fuel-free option when they booked their journey.
Scandlines Launches Major Plug-In Hybrid Ferry Conversions on Fehmarn Belt
DEUTSCHLAND at the BLRT Repair Yards © BLRT Repair Yards
Scandlines has officially begun the large-scale conversion of its Fehmarn Belt ferries SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN and DEUTSCHLAND into plug-in hybrid vessels, marking a key step towards emission-free operations on the Puttgarden-Rødby route.
With an investment of more than EUR 31 million, the 1997-built ferries will each be equipped with a 5 MWh battery system and fast-charging infrastructure both onboard and at ferry berths in Puttgarden and Rødby. This will allow the batteries to reach at least 80% capacity in just 12 minutes—enough to cover most of a crossing on renewable electricity.
Grimaldi Group Takes Delivery of 9,000 CEU Capacity Car Carrier GRANDE AUCKLAND
GRANDE AUCKLAND © Grimaldi Group
The GRANDE AUCKLAND, the second of seven new 9,000 CEU capacity PCTCs ordered by the Grimaldi Group at the Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipyard, has been delivered. The Ammonia Ready class notation received from RINA certifies that these new car carriers can be converted to use ammonia fuel in the future. Additionally, they are designed for cold ironing with shoreside supply of electricity.
The 200 m long and 38 m wide vessels will be deployed on voyages between Europe, North Africa, and the Near and Far East to meet the transport demands of operators in the automotive industry.
Stena Line will acquire port operations in Liepaja
Stena Line continues its commitment to trade growth and resilience in the Baltic Sea. The ferry company will acquire all shares in the port operator Terrabalt in Liepaja, Latvia. By acquiring the Latvian company Terrabalt, Stena Line takes over the operation of the ro-ro, bulk and general cargo terminal in Liepaja, Latvia's third-largest port. The Liepaja port is managed within the framework of the Liepaja Special Economic Zone (SEZ), a free trade zone established in 1997 that includes the port, industrial area, and airport.
The keel of the fourth Icon, HERO OF THE SEAS, laid at the Meyer Turku shipyard
The keel of HERO OF THE SEAS being laid, with STAR OF THE SEAS in front
Meyer Turku Shipyard celebrated the keel laying of the fourth cruise ship in the Icon Class, HERO OF THE SEAS. The ship, built for Royal Caribbean has thus progressed to the hull assembly phase and will be delivered at the end of 2027. Meyer Turku delivered the first ship in the series, ICON OF THE SEAS, in November 2023 and its sister ship, STAR OF THE SEAS, in July 2025. The third Icon, LEGEND OF THE SEAS, has recently been moved to the outfitting dock and will be completed in the summer of 2026.
Danish first movers choose to replace entire battery pack on 2019-built electric ferry
ELLEN © Peter Therkildsen
Ærø Municipality, which operates Ærøfærgerne, has put out an EU tender for the complete replacement of the 4.3 MWh battery pack on board the 2019-built electric ferry ELLEN. ELLEN was developed and built as part of the EU Horizon–supported E-ferry project, which aimed to demonstrate how far a 100% electric ro-pax ferry could sail between charges.
Study Finds Methane Slip on Brittany Ferries’ SALAMANCA 50% Lower Than EU Default Values
Carried out over a period of 12 months in collaboration with ADEME, and thanks to the support of Brittany Ferries, this independent study reveals that unburned methane emissions (methane slip) are nearly 50% lower than the default values established in the European regulations on ship emissions.
Stena Line awarded contract to continue operation of the Gdynia – Karlskrona route
The Port of Gdynia Authority has concluded the tender procedure for the selection of ferry operators at the Public Ferry Terminal in Gdynia, launched in June this year. Stena Line has been awarded the contract (and, following the signing of the new agreement, will continue its operations at the terminal in the coming years.
Fred. Olsen Express had a strong summer
BAJAMAR EXPRESS © Frank Lose
Fred. Olsen Express facilitated the travel of 930,000 passengers during the months of July and August on its inter-island routes. In total, 430,000 people traveled with the shipping company in July, a 17% increase compared to 2024. While a record number of 498,000 passengers was recorded in August, representing a 13% increase compared to the previous year. In addition, 115,000 vehicles traveled with the shipping company during July, and 132,000 in August, for a total of 248,000 during both months.
Go Nordic Cruise Line reports a record-breaking summer!
NORDIC CROWN © Frank Lose
In July, Go Nordic Cruise Line reported 93,220 guests on board, well above the 85,490 guests in July last year, even beating the pre-pandemic numbers from 2019.
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