FährNews Aktuell – December 2023 issue

Hello and welcome to the December 2023 issue of FährNews Aktuell. Today’s top topics include the following:

• FINNCANOPUS delivered – when the new flagship will arrive in the Baltic Sea.
• FUTURA launched – Scandlines new emission-free Ferry takes next big step
• And major investments at the Attica Group – how the Greek shipping group is now progressing following the takeover of ANEK Lines.
• You can find out all this and much more in this issue of FährNews Aktuell. So make sure you stay tuned until the end so you don’t miss anything!

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And here is the entire December issue of FährNews Aktuell for you to read again:

1 FINNCANOPUS delivered

[1] On December 12, 2023, Finnlines took delivery of the second superstar ship FINNCANOPUS at the China Merchants Jinling shipyard in Weihai. She is now embarking on a seven-week voyage to Finland. She is almost fully loaded with cargo and will call at several additional ports on her journey. From February 2024, she will join her sister FINNSIRIUS and serve the evening departure from Naantali and the morning departure from Kapellskär, both via Långnäs on the Åland Islands.

With the takeover of the FINNCANOPUS, Finnlines is completing its EUR 500 million newbuilding program, with which, in addition to the FINNCANOPUS and its sister FINNSIRIUS, three ro-ro ships have joined the Finnlines fleet as newbuildings.

Like its sister, the FINNCANOPUS offers 5200 loading meters of space for cargo and can carry up to 1100 passengers each.

The FINNSWAN, which previously operated on the Finland-Sweden route, will switch to the Travemünde- Malmö route.

2 ISABELLE chartered to Canada

[2] The ISABELLE, owned by Estonian shipping company Tallink, is currently en route to British Columbia on the west coast of Canada. The ship has been chartered to Bridgemans Services Group, a company specializing in the operation of residential ships. In Canada, the ISABELLE will now also serve as a residential vessel as part of a longer charter contract for workers involved in the construction of an LNG terminal near the town of Squamish.

[3] The CEO of Tallink, Paavo Nõgene, emphasized the positive impact on the company’s balance sheet in a statement on the new charter contract. He also emphasized that charter contracts for Tallink ferries for residential and transport purposes have developed into a good, additional source of income for the company in recent years.

Most recently, the ship has already been used as a residential ship to accommodate Ukrainian refugees as part of a charter contract with the Estonian government.

[4] Bridgemans has already chartered other Ferries from Tallink as accommodation vessels in the past, such as the former SILJA FESTIVAL, which is now in service as MEGA ANDREA for Corsica Ferries – Sardinia Ferries, or the SILJA EUROPA.

[5] The latter is also currently under charter to the Dutch company Slaapschepen Public, which in turn operates it for the Dutch Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers as accommodation for refugees.

3 News about Unity Line’s EPSILON

We already reported on the end of the EPSILON’s charter at Irish Ferries in the last issue of FährNews Aktuell. Now there is new information on the whereabouts of the Ferry.

[6] From January 2024, the EPSILON, which was previously chartered to Irish Ferries, will now switch to the Unity Line route between Świnoujście and Trelleborg. There it will replace the GALILEUSZ, increasing the number of loading meters from 1830 to 2860.

Unity Line has been operating the route between Poland and Sweden with four ships since February 2007. Recently, the shipping company has recorded positive, steady growth on the route with an annual growth rate of over 10%. In order to cope with the increasing growth, Unity Line will deploy two newbuilds on the Świnoujście-Trelleborg route from 2025. These are currently being built at the Remontowa shipyard in Gdańsk and are scheduled for delivery in 2025 and 2026. At the same time, Unity Line has now set the course for a continued future in the port of Trelleborg and concluded a five-year contract with the Port of Trelleborg for the use of the port facilities. This is valid from January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2028.

4 Launch of new Scandlines Ferry

[7] On 25.11.2023, the new zero-emission cargo ferry from Scandlines was launched in the traditional manner at the Cemre shipyard in Turkey.

At 10 a.m., the iron piles holding the ship to the slipway were removed so that the new Ferry could slide into the sea via a chute. There, several tugs picked up the newbuild and brought it to the fitting-out quay, where much of the remaining work will be carried out.

Before the final takeover, the new Ferry will be moved to the dry dock for the last coat of paint.

With the launch, the name of the all-electric Ferry has now also been announced: The newbuild will be named FUTURA as part of the naming ceremony at the time of commissioning on the Fehmarnbelt between Puttgarden and Rødby.

Carsten Nørled, CEO of Scandlines, emphasizes in a press release that Scandlines enables a journey without direct emissions with the FUTURA, as the Ferry is powered exclusively by electricity. At the same time, great importance has been attached to an even better customer experience on board. Carsten Nørled also emphasizes that Scandlines will continue to operate for many years to come. Even when the fixed link across the Fehmarnbelt is opened. He sees advantages for truck drivers in particular, who can take their statutory rest period during the Ferries crossing, as well as families going on vacation and Scandinavians coming to Germany for bulk shopping.

With the 147.5 meter long and 25.4 meter wide Ferry, Scandlines is now taking the next step towards emission-free ferry shipping.

[8] In the future, Scandlines will also convert the other four hybridFerries on the Fehmarnbelt to a purely electric drive, thus enabling a completely emission-free crossing of the Fehmarnbelt.

[9] To this end, the two ships sailing under the German flag, SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN and DEUTSCHLAND, will initially be equipped with a 10 MWh battery at the end of 2024 [10], [9] which will be charged with at least 80 percent of the energy required for a crossing in just 12 minutes via the newly built shore power connections in Puttgarden and Rødby. Solar panels will also be installed on board the Ferries for this purpose. In total, Scandlines is investing 31 million euros in the electrification of the FehmarnbeltFerries. The German Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport is supporting the project financially as part of a funding programme for the sustainable modernization of coastal vessels, NaMKü for short, with up to 40 percent of the conversion costs.
Scandlines is expected to sign the corresponding contract for the conversion in early 2024. Subject to the final delivery time of the components required for the conversion, the Ferries will be converted from the end of 2024 to 2025.

5 battery-electric HINNØYs launched

[11] The Turkish Cemre Shipyard has launched the HINNØY, a battery-powered double-ended ferry, for the Norwegian shipping company Torghatten Nord AS. Designed by The Norwegian Ship Design Company, the 117m-long HINNØY will be able to carry 399 passengers and 120 vehicles on the route between Bognes and Lødingen in northern Norway.

The 9.2 MWh batteries enable a crossing time of one hour at a speed of 13 to 14 knots. It is also planned that the new Ferry will be powered by electricity from the Norwegian national grid. Charging will take place via automatic high-performance charging connections at both terminals. If necessary, the HINNØY can also use biodiesel generators.

The Ferry should have two completely independent drive and power supply systems, which are arranged in such a way that the other remains operational in the event of a fault in one system.

6 Smyril Line takes over SEAGARD

[12] On December 12, 2023, the Faroese Smyril Line took over the ro-ro ship SEAGARD from Bore. The ship, now renamed GLYVURSNES, will in future serve the route between Tórshavn on the Faroe Islands, Þórlakshöfn in Iceland and Hirtshals in Denmark.

The GLYVURSNES was originally built for Bror Husell Chartering at the Sietas shipyard and has been chartered out to Transfennica since her commissioning in 1999.

7 Irish Ferries announces new freight route

[13] Irish Ferries will offer a new freight service between Northern Ireland and Scotland from the beginning of 2024. The new service will expand Irish Ferries ‘s route network and improve the connection between Ireland, the UK and Europe. The new freight service will also complement the existing services from Dublin and Rosslare.

8 Stena Line opens new freight route

[14] In February 2024, Stena Line will open a new freight route between Dublin in Ireland and Birkenhead near Liverpool in the northwest of England. Initially, the new route will be served by one ship departing from Dublin in the morning and returning from Birkenhead in the evening. Stena Line already operates one route from Dublin and one from Liverpool, so the new service will complement the existing Dublin-Holyhead and Belfast-Liverpool routes. Which ship will be used on the route will be announced shortly.

This is Stena Line ‘s response to the end of the P&O Ferries Liverpool-Dublin service. P&O Ferries will have to discontinue this service at the end of this year due to a lack of berth capacity in the port of Liverpool.

9 MARGARITA SALAS launched

[15] The MARGARITA SALAS, the latest fast ferry destined for Baleària, has been launched at the Armon shipyard in Gijón. The 123-metre-long and 28-metre-wide Ferry is a close sister ship to the ELEANOR ROOSEVELT, which was delivered in 2021. In addition to its sister ship, the MARGARITA SALAS has a second passenger deck and 10% more propulsion power. The fast ferry is powered by four dual-fuel engines, which currently run on LNG but are already prepared for the use of CO2-neutral fuels.

The MARGARITA SALAS is named to the Spanish scientist of the same name, who was one of the pioneers in the field of molecular biology. The MARGARITA SALAS offers space for 1200 passengers and 400 vehicles.

Baleària is investing EUR 126 million in a green future for the company with the construction of MARGARITA SALAS.

10 NEREA delivered to Siremar

[16] The Sicilian ferry operator Siremar, which belongs to the Italian Caronte & Tourist Group, has taken delivery of the 110-metre-long dual-fuel newbuild NEREA from the Turkish Sefine shipyard. The 40 million euro Ferry will be deployed between Milazzo and the Aeolian Islands.

The vehicle deck of the Ferry offers 490 loading meters of space for vehicles that can access the deck via a 10 m x 10 m stern ramp.

The NEREA can carry 800 passengers as an EU Class B ship and 400 passengers as an EU Class A ship.

[17] EU Class A means: Designed for extended voyages in which weather conditions with a wind force of over 8 on the Beaufort scale and significant wave heights of over 4 m can occur (e.g. in the high seas) and which these ships can largely survive under their own power.

The EU Class B states that the vessel is designed for voyages in which weather conditions with a wind force of up to and including 8 m and wave heights of up to and including 4 m may occur.

[16] The ship is a diesel-electric LNG hybrid ferry that reaches a service speed of 16.5 knots. It also has a 1,000 kWh battery pack and 250 m2 of solar cells installed.

11 Launching of the PIETRO MONDELLO

[18] And Siremar’s parent company, Caronte & Tourist, is also getting a new build. The 134-metre-long PIETRO MONDELLO was launched at the Turkish Sefine shipyard. The Ferry, which is almost identical to the ELIO delivered in 2018, will primarily feature technical improvements compared to its sister ship. The newbuild will also have a battery pack with a capacity of 2 MWh. The PIETRO MONDELLO offers space for 1,500 passengers and 290 cars and, like its sister ship, will be used in the Strait of Messina between Messina and Villa San Giovanni.

[19] In the next two years, Caronte & Tourist plans to build three more new Ferries for the connections to the Sicilian islands and for use in the Strait of Messina.

12 Former BENIAMINO CARNEVALE ran aground off Sicily

[20] The Vamare-class ro-ro ship LIDER PRESTIJ, formerly known as BENIAMINO CARNEVALE, ran aground off Sicily on 26.11.2023.

The ship was being towed by the tug TEDY on its way from Naples to Tuzla when a tow rope broke in high seas in the Mediterranean. As a result, the ship began to drift and ran aground about 10 miles off Milazzo on the north coast of Sicily.

The ship was auctioned by the Compagnia Italiana di Navigazione and purchased by Turkish buyers for 3.25 million euros.

The Italian Coast Guard supervised the salvage operations that were successfully carried out with the help of four tugs from Rimorchiatori Augusta, a subsidiary of Rimorchiatori Mediterranei, which is controlled by MSC.

The ship was transferred to the port of Messina for inspection.

[21] The LIDER PRESTIJ was built in 1992 and has 1820 meters of cargo space. The maximum speed is 19.1 knots.

13 Major investment and restructuring within the Attica Group

[22] Following the merger with ANEK Lines, the Attica Group has initiated an extensive fleet modernization program costing just over EUR 1 billion and focusing on the development of “green Ferries” – both existing ships and newbuilds. At the same time, Attica is also considering a newbuilding program for smaller Ferries for use in the Aegean.

Attica’s comprehensive fleet modernization program was developed in collaboration with Lloyd’s Register and comprises three phases:

The first phase is already underway and comprises immediate measures to further optimize the fleet in an environmentally friendly manner. These include the optimization of drive systems and digital systems as well as the installation of photovoltaic and other energy-saving systems with a total budget of EUR 160 million.

The second phase comprises the installation of new dual-fuel engines at selected Ferries with an investment volume of EUR 400 million. Phase 2 will be implemented in 2026/27.

The third and final phase provides for the construction of new ropaxFerries that comply with international regulations for a significant reduction in pollutant emissions. A budget of EUR 500 million is planned for this phase. The phase should be completed by 2029.

[23] Following the recent integration of ANEK Lines into the Attica Group, the latter is now entering a new “green era” characterized by both new investments and organic growth. As a first step, the ferry giant is restructuring its fleet.

Specifically, the Group plans to deploy four large ships on the Piraeus-Crete route, all of which will be painted in the ANEK Lines livery. The vessels to be deployed on the Piraeus-Chania route are the 1998-built ELYROS and the 31-year-old EL. VENIZELOS. The LEFKA ORI, launched in 1987, and the KISSAMOS, completed in 1992, will be deployed on the Piraeus-Heraklion line. Both were formerly Blue Star Ferries vessels named BLUE HORIZON and BLUE GALAXY and are already painted white. There are plans to replace the EL. VENIZELOS with another vessel with a larger vehicle capacity. This would be in line with the Group’s strategy of expanding the truck service on the routes to Crete.

In the Adriatic service, on the other hand, it was decided that two additional ships would be operated by Superfast and given the typical red livery.

The first “new” Superfast ship is the ARIADNE, built in Japan in 1996. It is scheduled to enter service on the Adriatic from December 15. It already operated this service last year during the peak season in the colors of Hellenic Seaways.

The second ship that could undergo a color change is the ASTERION II, built in 1991, which is currently operating for Superfast on the Patras-Venice route in white and with the small inscription “operated by SUPERFAST”.

14 Baleària plans new Caribbean route

[24] Baleària plans to open a new ferry connection between San Pedro de Macorís in the Dominican Republic and Mayagüez in Puerto Rico in summer 2024. The shipping company will offer a daily connection on the 133-mile route between the two ports. In addition, Baleària is planning to build a terminal in the port of San Pedro de Macorís and adapt the terminal in Mayagüez.

The company will make the seven-hour crossing between the two Antilles islands with an environmentally friendly ship that could become the first natural gas-powered Ferry in the Caribbean.

Baleària has been operating in the Caribbean since 2011, where it currently connects the North American port of Fort Lauderdale with the Bahamian islands of Grand Bahama and Bimini. The new service will be Baleària ‘s third route in the Caribbean and its sixth international connection.

15 winners of the FährNews Community Award

We are delighted to announce that TT-Line has been named the most popular ferry shipping company of 2023. In six rounds and against over 60 shipping companies, TT-Line prevailed this year. You have voted TT-Line the most popular shipping company of 2023! Thank you once again for your active participation!

But that’s it for the December issue of FährNews Aktuell in 2023. We wish you a wonderful Christmas and a happy new year! Ferry Christmas!

Did you like the issue? Then please leave a Like. If you have any other comments or requests, please write us a comment. We look forward to your feedback!
If you haven’t had enough FährNews yet, we can recommend the last issue of FährNews Aktuell. Among other things, it covered Unity Line’s newbuilds, new information about Hansa Destinations and the newbuilds for La Méridionale. Have fun and see you soon!

Sources

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• [21] “Classe Viamare”, Wikipedia. December 8, 2023. Accessed December 14, 2023 [Online]. Available at: https://it.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Classe_Viamare&oldid=136797187
• [22] “Attica Group embarks on EUR 1 billion fleet upgrade program”, Shippax. Accessed: December 13, 2023 [Online]. Available at: https://www.shippax.com/en/news/attica-group-embarks-on-eur-1-billion-fleet-upgrade-programme.aspx
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• [24] “Baleària plans to open a service between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico in 2024”, Shippax. Accessed December 14, 2023 [Online]. Available at: https://www.shippax.com/en/news/baleria-plans-to-open-a-service-between-the-dominican-republic-and-puerto-rico-in-2024.aspx

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