Shippax Newsletter– week 41
Stena Line enters space charter agreement with Irish Ferries
Stena Line has entered into a temporary agreement to share freight and passenger space on the Irish Sea. A strategic collaboration with Irish Ferries will enable essential dry-docking of vessels, whilst ensuring service continuity, quality and reliability.
This temporary agreement will take effect from 20 November until 4 December 2025. During this time Stena Line will operate the service from Dublin to Holyhead with capacity allocated for Irish Ferries customers. Simultaneously Irish Ferries will offer spaces on the Rosslare – Pembroke route for Stena Line passengers and freight customers.
Fincantieri launches LNG-capable RoPax for the Sicilian Region
© Fincantieri
The new EUR 114.6 million RoPax ferry being built by Fincantieri for the Sicilian Region has been launched at the Palermo shipyard. The Naos-designed CONSTANZA I DI SICILIA is scheduled for delivery in the summer of 2026 and will provide service between Lampedusa and Pantelleria.
Wallenius Sol joins Gasum’s FuelEU Maritime Pool, switches vessels to liquefied biogas
BOTNIA ENABLER © Wallenius Sol
Wallenius Sol has partnered with Gasum to join its FuelEU Maritime pool as compliance generators, enabling the company's dual-fuel vessels to produce regulation surplus while operating on bio-LNG. The move allows Wallenius Sol's customers to benefit from low-emission transport and helps shipowners avoid costly penalties under new EU carbon-intensity regulations.
Starting October 2025, Wallenius Sol's BALTIC ENABLER and BOTNIA ENABLER have transitioned from LNG to liquefied biogas (LBG), produced from Nordic residual streams. LBG is chemically identical to LNG but fully renewable, reducing life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions by up to 90% and supporting customers' Scope 3 reporting.
Shin Nihonkai Ferry's most recent ship has been named HAMANASU
© Yoshiho Ikeda
On 9 October 2025, Osaka-based Shin Nihonkai Ferry's newest ship was launched at the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Shimonoseki Shipyard and was named HAMANASU. Hamanasu means "Rosa rugosa," a flower found in Hokkaido.
HAMANASU is a sister ship of KEYAKI, which is set to enter service between Otaru, Hokkaido, and Maizuru, Kyoto Prefecture (1,061 km) on 14 November 2025. Currently, KEYAKI is also being built at the same MHI Shimonoseki Shipyard.
CalMac charters ARROW for the Stornoway–Ullapool route
ARROW © Frank Lose
CalMac has sub-chartered the 1,050 lanemetre ARROW from DFDS. The 1998-built Isle of Man Steam Packet Company-owned RoRo vessel will be used to secure the necessary freight capacity on CalMac's Stornoway–Ullapool route while the route's regular ferry, the RoPax LOCH SEAFORTH, undergoes a scheduled docking from 19 October to 15 November.
Höegh Autoliners’ Q3 impacted by weakening trade balance
HÖEGH TRAVELLER outwards in the Noordzeekanaal © Søren Lund Hviid
In September 2025, Höegh Autoliners transported 1.3 million cbm of cargo on prorated basis on their fleet of PCTCs. Transported volume in the third quarter (July - September) was 4.0 million cbm. Average prorated gross freight rate in September 2025 was USD 90.3 per cbm (-2.2% compared to average gross rate in the last three months).
Lakeway Link expands fleet and launches daily departures between Södertälje and Gdynia
MISTRAL © Søren Lund Hviid
Lakeway Link is expanding its service with the addition of a second RoRo vessel, the 1.624 lanemetre 1999-built MISTRAL, which is a sister ship to Lakeway Link 's current vessel LAKEWAY EXPRESS. The vessel will join the Lakeway Link fleet under a time charter agreement in the beginning of November 2025, further strengthening the connection between Södertälje and Gdynia.
Eckerö buys SAILOR from Tallink and considers a passenger product on Eckerö Link
SAILOR © Tallink Grupp
Tallink Group has sold the freight-oriented RoPax vessel SAILOR to Rederiaktiebolaget Eckerö (Eckerö Group). The ship, built in 1987 with a capacity of 1,650 lanemetres and 119 passengers, has been laid up in Tallinn since the beginning of 2025 after being withdrawn from Tallink's Paldiski–Kapellskär route.
Starlite Ferries soon to take delivery of a new STARLITE RESILIENCE
STARLITE PIONEER is a similarly sized vessel, delivered in 2015 from Kegoya Dock
Philippine Starlite Ferries will launch its latest RoPax STARLITE RESILIENCE in November 2025, the Chelsea Logistics-owned operator announces. STARLITE RESILIENCE with a length of 67.60 metre, built in Japan, is the latest addition to Starlite Ferries' present fleet of 20 vessels which include both RoPax and RoRo vessels.
Finnlines increased its passenger numbers in the summer
Finnlines saw a strong summer, with private passenger numbers rising 14% compared with 2024, driven by a 38% increase on their route to Poland. The results highlight strong demand across all Finnlines' routes and reflect the positive impact of new route services and upgraded ships.
Between June and August 2025, Finnlines carried 14% more private passengers across all routes than in the same period of 2024, with the Malmö–Swinoujscie route seeing a remarkable 38% rise.
Bluebridge sells surplus ferry to Egyptian interests
STRAIT FERONIA © Bluebridge
New Zealand's Bluebridge (StraitNZ) has sold STRAIT FERONIA. The buyer is the Cairo-based Pan Marine Shipping Co. The 1997-built "Visentini" RoPax departed Wellington on 6 October under its new name PAN LILY, bound for Singapore with an ETA of 22 October.
STRAIT FERONIA became surplus on Bluebridge's Cook Strait route between New Zealand's North and South Islands after the company purchased STENA LIVIA - also a "Visentini" RoPax - from Stena RoRo earlier this year.
Setback for the re-establishment of the Kapellskär–Mariehamn route
Ålands Folkrederi AB, which - through a local share subscription in the Åland Islands - aims to re-establish the route between Kapellskär and Mariehamn with a newbuild vessel, has had its application for financial support rejected by the Åland Structural Fund Programme (ERUF).
This was reported by the local news outlet Ålands Radio. The application sought EUR 84,400 to cover roughly half of the cost of hiring a project manager to continue Ålands Folkrederi's development of tonnage for the route from September 2025 to March 2026.
Consortium appointed for next phase of study for Singapore’s first low-carbon ammonia bunkering solution
While the RoPax and cruise segments - the passenger-carrying part of the shipping industry - remain very cautious about considering "green" ammonia as a CO2-neutral bunkering alternative, the situation is different in the purely cargo-carrying part of the industry. In the deepsea sector of the RoRo segment, several PCTC operators have declared their readiness to pursue this potentially CO2-neutral bunkering path. A new consortium, led by Singapore-based Keppel Ltd., is now helping to pave the way for this development, starting from one of the world's largest bunkering hubs.
SKUTVIK has joined the group of old Norwegian ferries in Kingstown
SKUTVIK © Uwe Jakob
The 1972-built former Torghatten Nord-owned SKUTVIK has now begun its active retirement far from Norway, under warmer Caribbean skies. The 1,476 GT ferry was originally delivered from Kaarbøes Mek. Verksted in Norway as LØDINGEN to Nord-Ferjer AS.
The ferry then sailed in Norwegian domestic service for more than five decades until earlier this year, when - after a lengthy lay-up - it was sold to the company Mustique Co. Ltd. Still carrying the name SKUTVIK, the ferry began its new service on 12 September on the route between Saint Vincent's capital Kingstown and the island of Mustique.
New renderings of groundbreaking hydrogen newbuilding project
Norwegian Ship Design has released new renderings showing the fuel cell installation on what will become the world's largest hydrogen-powered ships when they are delivered in 2026. These are yard no. 80 and 81 at Myklebust Verft in Norway, contracted by Torghatten Nord, which has developed the two double-ended ferries together with Norwegian Ship Design.
As the renderings show, the hydrogen installations, including the 32 fuel cells, will be gathered on the upper deck between the two bridges. The two newbuilds, each 117 meters long and 8,500 GT, will be named RØST and MOSKENES, and are earmarked for Torghatten Nord's 3.5-hour route between Bodø and the Lofoten Islands.
Scandlines’ new electric Rødby–Puttgarden ferry on its way home
THE BALTIC WHALE © Cemre
Scandlines' new freight-oriented RoPax for the Rødby–Puttgarden route departed 3 October, from the builder, Cemre Shipyard in Turkey. This marks the start of the delivery voyage toward the Fehmarn Belt for the newbuild. At this moment, Sunday morning (UTC+2), the ferry is, according to its AIS, passing north of Kythira and then setting an westerly course toward its first stop-over, Algeciras, with an ETA of 10 October.
The 14,021 GT, 147.4-meter-long double-ended ferry, with a capacity of 1,200 lane-metres and 140 passengers/drivers, was originally to be named FUTURA and was launched under that name. However, Scandlines later changed the name during the construction process to THE BALTIC WHALE, which is now the name under which the ferry is registered in its flag registry, the Danish International Ship Register (DIS).
CalMac’s CALEDONIAN ISLES returns to service after 20 months of repairs
Caledonian MacBrayne's (CalMac's), 1993-built RoPax ferry CALEDONIAN ISLES has returned to her service to Arran after a catalogue of repairs taking 20 months to complete and costing the ferry operator GBP 11.6 million.
CALEDONIAN ISLES returned to the Ardrossan-Brodick service on 1 October as part of a phased return to a full schedule. The troubles for the 33 year old ferry started when she went for annual maintenance in January 2024, during which time it was discovered that the vessel was suffering from extensive steel corrosion.
Holyhead-Dublin identified as a leading candidate for green shipping corridor
The ferry route between Dublin Port and the Port of Holyhead could serve as one of Europe's first dedicated green shipping corridors, says a new study. The study also identified green methanol as a suitable candidate fuel for the corridor with the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions up to 80%.
The 'Greening the Irish Sea – The Central Corridor' study was led by Ricardo, a global environmental consultancy firm, working in partnership with ferry operators, Irish Ferries and Stena Line, as well as Dublin Port, the Port of Holyhead, and additional support from EDF UK R&D and Maynooth University.
NYK, MTI, and Grid launch AI-based system to optimize fleet allocation
JASMINE LEADER © NYK Line
NYK Line, MTI and Grid have jointly developed an AI-based system that automates and optimizes the allocation plan of car carriers. Full-scale operations of the system were launched at NYK in July.
NYK Line operates more than 100 PCTCs, the largest fleet in the world. Historically, ship allocation planning has been an extremely complex and labour-intensive process, requiring the comprehensive evaluation of numerous conditions for hundreds of voyages several months in advance.
Stena Line celebrate 30 years of Dublin service
Stena Line is celebrating a major milestone with 30 years of service in Dublin. As part of the celebrations Stena Line, in partnership with Business Sweden and the Swedish Embassy in Dublin brought together Swedish business leaders, Irish Government officials as well as trade and investment promotion organisations for a high-level business roundtable.
Baleària begins exclusive bioLNG use on three of its ships
MARGARITA SALAS bunkering bioLNG
Baleària has begun regularly incorporating bioLNG in its operations. The dual-fuel capable MARGARITA SALAS, ABEL MATUTES and RUSADIR vessels have been powered exclusively by this renewable fuel since the beginning of September. The company has procured 132 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of bioLNG, which will allow the three ships to sail emissions-free until December 2025.
DLU Ferry acquires another ferry in Japan
SUNFLOWER SHIRETOKO © MOL
MOL Sunflower's RoPax SUNFLOWER SHIRETOKO has reportedly been sold to Indonesian operator DLU Ferry (PT Dharma Lautan Utama). It is further reported that SUNFLOWER SHIRETOKO, which has been anchored off Balikpapan, Indonesia, since July 28, will be renamed DHARMA RUCITRA V under its new ownership.
The ferry, built in 2001, was delivered by Mitsubishi HI as NEW RAINBOW BELL to Kyuetsu Ferry, but was sold in 2007 to Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, which merged its two subsidiaries, MOL Ferry and Ferry Sunflower, in 2023.
TS and CalMac sign agreement to bring Clyde & Hebrides Ferry Service under full public control
Duncan Mackison and Fiona Hyslop © CalMac
Transport Scotland (TS) and CalMac Ferries Ltd have signed relevant agreements to bring the operation of the Clyde & Hebrides Ferry Service (CHFS) under public control. This marks a key milestone in the future delivery of ferry services for Scotland's island a rural communities. Updated delivery schedule for the Cemre newbuilds ISLE OF ISLAY, LOCH INDAAL, LOCHMOR, and CLAYMORE has also been provided.
Shippax Ferry Conference - Where the ferry industry meet, innovate, and inspire!
Join us at the 2026 Shippax Ferry Conference for two days packed with engaging speeches, lively debates, and the best possible networking. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to connect, learn, and celebrate the future of the ferry industry together.
WHERE? GNV’S RHAPSODY
ROUTE? Genoa - Olbia and return
WHEN? 5-7 May 2026
"OPTIMISING OPERATIONS, ENHANCING EXPERIENCES"
RoPax, RoRo and High-Speed Ferry Executives Panel Debates
Optimised & Secure Connectivity
Rules & Regulations Debate
Designers' Talking Table
Keynote Speakers
New Ships & Projects
Ferry Industry Performance and Megatrends
New Technologies and Inspirations
Interferry Update
Shippax Awards
(A more detailed programme will follow closer to the conference. Some changes to the programme may occur.)
SO, WHO'S ATTENDING?
The following +240 unique companies all attended our last conference:
ABB, Accomar Marine Interior, ACT Commodities, Actemium OPS, Adaptive Recognition Nordic, Afai Southern Shipyard, Aferry, Alta Shipping Brokers, Aluflam Marine, Alvina Shipping, Anschütz, Archipelago Philippines Ferries Corp, Aros Marine, Artemis Technologies, A-Ships Management, Assa Abloy Global Solutions, Atlantic Shipping, Attica Group, Auramarine, Austal, B COOL, B9 Energy Storage, Balearia, Barry Rogliano Salles, Bassoe Technology, Beha-Hedo Marine, Berg Propulsion, Beurteaux, BLRT, BorgWarner, Brax Shipping, Brittany Ferries, BRS Shipbrokers, Brunvoll, Bureau Veritas, Canawaima Ferry Service, Canawaima Management Company, Candela Technology, Caronte & Tourist, Carus, Caterpillar Motoren, CCH Design, Cemre Shipyard, China Merchants Heavy Industry (Jiangsu+Shenzhen), China Merchants Industry Holdings, China Merchants Jinling Shipyard (Nanjing+Weihai), Cita Marine Furniture, Clarksons, Color Line, Consilium Safety group, Corsica Ferries, Corvus Energy, Cotenaval, CSSC Cruise Technology Development, Damen Group, Danish Export Association, Deltamarin, DeRossi Marine, Destination Gotland, DFDS, Direct Ferries, DMS, DNV, Droplet Technologies, dSign, Echandia Marine, Eckerö Group, E-Dea, EHRENBERG SØRENSEN Kommunikation, Eknes, Ekornes, Eltorque, Enrico Scolaro Shipbrokers, EST-Floattech, Evac, Expian, Ferrando & Massone Shipbrokers, FerryGateway Association, Ferryhawk, Filmbankmedia, Fire Island Ferries, Fjord Line, Flexipass, Foreship, Freeport of Riga Authority, Freudenberg e-Power System, FRS, FSG Design, FSG Shipyard, Fugro Norway, GCE Blue maritime Cluster, Georg Fischer, Glamox, Grandi Navi Veloci, Grendi Trasporti Marittimi, GNW Capital, Go Nordic Cruiseline, Godby Shipping, Gotland Tech Development, Gotlandsbolaget, Grifone Shipbrokers, GSI Marine, Guangzhou Shipyard International, Hans Buch, Harmony Marine Solutions, Helsinki Shipyard / DNY Finland, Herculan, Hestra Inredningar, Hogia Ferry Systems, Hogia Terminal Systems, Houlder, Huanan Building Materials, Hydro Extrusions, Incat Crowther, Incat Tasmania, Ingeteam, Interferry, International Maritime Services, Isle of Man Steam Packet Company, Jets Vacuum, KAM SG Pte. Ltd, KfW IPEX-Bank, Knud E. Hansen, Kockum Sonics, Kongsberg Maritime, KROHNE, La Méridionale, Liferaft Systems Australia, Lloyd's Register EMEA, LMG Marin France, Loipart, LTH-Baas, Lufthansa Industry Solutions, Maatsuyker, MacGregor, Macholl & Specht, MACNA, Malta Shipbrokers, MAN Energy Solutions, Manta Marine Technologies, MariApps Marine Solutions Europe, Marine Charging Point, Marioff Corporation, MariTeam, Maritime Montering Group, Mases Maritime Service, Mason Shipbrokers, Mercy Ships, Meyer Turku, Mikmek, Mobitech, Moby, MTN Satellite Communications, Nagels Druck, Nanni Industries, Naos Ship & Boat Design, NAPA, naValue, Navitaship, Navitide, Netcompany, NIT Naval Interior Team, Njords Ark, NLC Ferry, Nordic HSC, Nordvik Shipping, Nortal, North Sea Offshore, Norwegian Seafarers' Union, Nowhere Networks, Orbyt Global, Oresund Drydocks, OSK Design, OSM Maritime, PAF, Parimar Brokers, Pharos Data, Port of Turku, Porto Santo Line, Ports of Stockholm, Portsmouth International Port, Protect International, Quantum Marine Stabiilizers, Quvia, R&M Group, Rauma Marine Constructions, Rederi AB Ballerina, Rederi AB Eckerö, Redwise, Remontowa Shipbuilding, RINA, Ripple Operations, RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, Rostock port, Sahal Global Logistics, Salto Systems, Scandlines, ScanMarine, Schottel, Sea Ahead Marine, Seacore Shipbrokers, Seajets, Seat Innovation, Sefine Shipyard, Shanghai Merchant Ship Design & Research Institute (SDARI), Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding, Signify Norway, Simsonship Shipbrokers, SMC Design, SodaFlexx International, Solvay, Solve A Mystery, Speedcast, SSY, Star Information Systems, Steerprop, Stena Line, Stena RoRo, Surikat, Tallink, Tallink Silja, Team Electric Group, Telenor Maritime, Tesvolt Ocean, The Norwegian Ship Design Company, Thunship, TLS - Boca Systems, Toremar spa, Trelleborg, Trident BMC, TS Laevad, TT-Line, Ulmatec Thermal Solutions, Unitramp, Valmet, Verband Deutscher Reeder, Vestnes Ocean, Vetrotech Saint Gobain, Viking Life Saving Equipment, Viking Line, Voith, Wabtec, Wasaline, Weasel Software Ltd, Western Baltija Shipbuilding, West Mekan Produksjon, WE Tech Solutions, Wight Shipyard Company, Wightlink, Wireless Maritime Services, Wyker Dampfschiffs-Reederei Föhr-Amrum, Wärtsilä, Yantai CIMC Raffles Offshore, Zeppelin Power Systems, Zinus
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