FährNews Aktuell – December 2024 issue

EXPRESS 5 collides with quay wall, port of Holyhead closed, and much more. | FährNews Current

Hello and welcome to the December issue of FährNews Aktuell in 2024. The top topics of this episode are presented by Faehren.net, where you can easily book ferries online:

• EXPRESS 5 collides with pier – What caused the accident and what happens now
• Port of Holyhead closed – How shipping companies are dealing with the closure shortly before Christmas
• And: New mission for SMYRNA DI LEVANTE – What happens now with the former ROSTOCK

The top topics of the December issue of FährNews Aktuell were presented by ferry-guide.com, the easy online booking platform for your ferry crossing. But here we go with this issue of FährNews Aktuell.

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

1 Scandlines continues to work on its sustainability strategy

[1] The Danish shipping company Scandlines and Caterpillar Motoren have signed a memorandum of understanding to investigate the use of methanol on Ferries with MaK propulsion. Both companies want to exchange information on methanol solutions to reduce CO2 emissions in ferry operations.

The signed letter of intent includes the project planning for the conversion of the two hybrid ferries BERLIN and COPENHAGEN with M 32 C propulsion from diesel to methanol dual-fuel applications. Caterpillar considers green methanol, which is produced from renewable sources, to be a promising alternative to conventional fuels. The two ferries have been operating on the route between Rostock and Gedser since 2016. Since 2020 and 2022 respectively, they have each been equipped with a rotor sail and thus harness the power of the wind.

If you would like to find out more about rotor sails, you are welcome to take a look at our FährNews Future issue. You can find the link in the video description or in the info card at the top right.

[1] The plan envisages that Caterpillar Motoren will make a test engine available in its workshop in 2025. If Scandlines concludes that the test engine meets expectations and complies with the conditions, there is a possibility that the first Scandlines diesel engine will be converted in 2027.

2 EXPRESS 5 collides with harbor wall

[2] The high-speed ferry EXPRESS 5 from Bornholmslinjen collided with the so-called Fliskaj on the evening of November 25, 2024 while leaving the port of Rønne. The Ferry was on its last double journey of the day between Rønne in Denmark and Ystad in Sweden, but had to turn back after a hard contact with the pier and drop its passengers back off in Rønne on Bornholm.

The internal investigation of the incident at Bornholmslinjen revealed that there were no technical reasons for the accident, which occurred under normal weather conditions. The incident must therefore be classified as a human maneuvering error. This is also the main content of the report on the incident submitted by the safety officer of Molslinjen, the parent company of Bornholmslinjen, to the Danish Maritime Authority.

[3] The EXPRESS 5 had to go to the FAYARD shipyard in Munkebo for repairs. In the meantime, from 30.11. to 16.12. 2024, the EXPRESS 1 took over responsibility as the main ferry on the route.

EXPRESS 5 has been running as usual again since December 17.

3 Port of Holyhead closed after storm damage

[4] The port of Holyhead suffered considerable damage during Storm Darragh on December 6 and 7, 2024.

Terminals 3 and 5 were originally scheduled to reopen on December 20, but will now remain closed until at least January 15, 2025 for safety reasons. Both Stena Line and Irish Ferries have announced extensive emergency measures to reduce disruption during this busy pre-Christmas period:

Stena Line has chartered the Isle of Man Steam Packet ‘s BEN MY CHREE to serve the Dublin-Heysham freight route from December 17, increasing freight capacity by 850 lane meters. There are also additional sailings on the Dublin-Birkenhead route with the STENA ESTRID for car passengers with existing bookings. Stena Line is also deploying the STENA ADVENTURER on the Dublin-Fishguard route. Furthermore, Stena Line has introduced a 12-hour rule for trailers and unaccompanied vehicles. Bookings for these vehicles must be made 12 hours before the scheduled departure, otherwise they cannot be transported.

Irish Ferries increases capacity on the Rosslare-Pembroke route by rescheduling the JAMES JOYCE. The ISLE OF INNISFREE will be deployed on the Dublin-Fishguard route. In addition, more departures are offered on the Dublin-Cherbourg corridor, with the ULYSSES successfully completing its first crossing to France and increasing freight capacity.

CLdN also introduced a similar 12-hour rule at major terminals such as Dublin T4, Liverpool and Heysham.

As one of the most important links between the United Kingdom and Ireland, Holyhead plays a crucial role in freight and passenger traffic.

Stena Line and Irish Ferries carry two million passengers per year and around 1,200 freight units per day.

4 Fleet expansion for Fred. The Olsen Express

[5] Fred. Olsen Express has chartered a new fast ferry, the former CIUDAD DE CEUTA. Renamed BARLOVENTO EXPRESS, Ferry last operated for Trasmediterránea.

[6] The catamaran was commissioned in 2003 as HSC MILENIUM DOS for Trasmediterránea and later renamed CIUDAD DE CEUTA. She was then sold to Liberty Lines at the beginning of November this year and renamed VITTORIO M. She is now on long-term lease to Fred. Olsen Express under her new name BARLOVENTO EXPRESS. She has a maximum speed of 38 knots and can carry 900 passengers and 267 cars.

[5] The addition of the catamaran to the fleet is based on the shipping company’s planned timetable for 2025, including the commissioning of the new route between El Hierro and Tenerife. The BARLOVENTO EXPRESS itself is expected to serve the route between Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Morro Jable on Fuerteventura.

If you would like to experience the BARLOVENTO EXPRESS on the route between Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Morro Jable for yourself, then book your ticket for the Ferry with our partner faehren.net. Here you can also see all alternative crossing options directly when you make your booking if, for example, a departure does not fit into your schedule. You will also receive a price overview of the individual shipping companies during the booking process. At Ferry-guide.com you can easily book ferries online. You can also find the link to ferry-guide.com at the top of the video description or at the end of this video in the endcard.

5 Caronte & Tourist takes over PIETRO MONDELLO

[7] Caronte & Tourist has taken delivery of the PIETRO MONDELLO, its new 134-metre-long double-ended ferry for the Strait of Messina. The ship will be used there on the route between Messina and Villa San Giovanni, i.e. the Italian mainland and the island of Sicily. The Ferry was built for the Italian shipping company Caronte & Tourist by the Turkish Sefine Shipyard. It is structurally very similar to the ELIO, which was delivered in 2018, but with a number of technical modifications. These include, for example, the installation of a 2 MWh battery pack. Both ships are equipped with LNG-capable dual-fuel engines and have a capacity for around 1,500 passengers and 290 cars.

6 Grimaldi Group takes over ECO SALERNO

[8] The Grimaldi Group has taken delivery of the ECO SALERNO, the 13th ship in the Grimaldi Green 5th Generation, or GG5G, series. The GG5G ships have a loading capacity of 7,800 loading meters for freight, which corresponds to 500 trailers and 180 cars. Grimaldi is thus doubling the capacity compared to the old ships used.

The GG5G ships can therefore halve CO₂ emissions per transported cargo unit compared to their predecessors. In port, CO₂ emissions are reduced to 0. This is made possible by a large lithium battery, which can be recharged during the journey thanks to wave generators and 350 m² of photovoltaic panels installed on board.

As we reported in a previous issue, this class of ship is one of the few that are allowed to use lithium batteries in Italian ports. The Italian government has banned other ships from using large lithium batteries due to a lack of legislation.

7 Fast Ferries buys Zante Ferries fleet

[9] On December 6, 2024, after intensive negotiations, the purchase of the Zante Ferries ships by Fast Ferries was announced.

[10] The former fleet of Zante Ferries includes the DIONISIOS SOLOMOS, which was built in Japan in 1990. It has a length of 115.63 m and a width of 21 m, reaches a top speed of 19 knots and offers space for 1,050 passengers and 615 loading meters of cargo.

[11] The second ship is the ADAMANTIOS KORAIS, which was launched in Japan in 1987. Slower at 18.6 knots and with a length of 100 m and a width of 17 m, its smaller fleet colleague offers space for 390 passengers.

[9] Finally, let’s take a brief look at the 33-year history of Zante Ferries. The shipping company was founded in 1991 in Zakynthos and initially operated in the Ionian Sea. In 2008, the ADAMANTIOS KORAIS was transferred to the Aegean and served routes in the central Aegean, later concentrating on the western Cyclades. In 2017, the DIONISIOS SOLOMOS was transferred to the routes of the western Cyclades, thus the company finally gave up its activities in the Ionian Sea. This fall, operations in Greek coastal shipping were finally discontinued.

8 Levante Ferries expands with SMYRNA DI LEVANTE

[12] On December 3, the SMYRNA DI LEVANTE from Levante Ferries called at the port of Zakynthos for the first time. She is the largest Ferry ever to call at the port. From next summer, the SMYRNA DI LEVANTE will serve the Kyllini – Zakynthos – Poros (Kefalonia) route. With this decision, Levante Ferries is expanding strongly and improving the transport connections of the entire region. Levante Ferries wants to make Zakynthos an even more attractive destination for Mediterranean travelers.

[13] The SMYRNA DI LEVANTE is one of the 6 ships operated by Levante Ferries. She has a length of almost 160 m, a width of just under 22 m and offers space for 948 passengers as well as 1000 m of cargo space. She was built in Norway in 1977 and has a maximum speed of 20.5 knots.

If you would like to find out more about the SMYRNA DI LEVANTE and her history, then take a look at our FährNews Spotlight issue. You will find the link in the video description as well as in the info card.

The ferry year 2024 is now coming to an end. We would like to thank everyone who regularly visits FährNews and wish you a happy new year. As a small thank you for your loyalty, we are giving away an exclusive FährNews calendar for 2025 in the comments. Simply write a comment with your favorite, most interesting or most helpful FährNews story from the past year and you’ll be entered into the draw. The competition ends on 31.12.2024 at 7 pm. You can also find all the conditions of participation in the video description.

But that will be it for the December 2024 issue of FährNews Aktuell. Did you like the issue? Then leave with pleasure a Like there. If you have any other comments or requests, feel free to write us a comment. We look forward to your feedback!

To book your ferry crossing, you can now click on the link to Faehren.net. Otherwise, please leave another subscription! If you haven’t had enough of FerryNews, we can recommend the latest issue of FerryNews News. Among other things, it dealt with the new operator of the Copenhagen-Oslo route and the end of GNV ARIES. Have fun and see you soon!

Sources

• [1] “Scandlines and Caterpillar engines sign MoU for methanol conversion”, Shippax. Accessed December 24, 2024 [Online]. Available at: https://www.shippax.com/en/news/scandlines-and-caterpillar-motoren-sign-mou-for-methanol-conversion.aspx
• [2] “EXPRESS 5 incident due to human error”, Shippax. Accessed December 24, 2024 [Online]. Available at: https://www.shippax.com/en/news/express-5-incident-due-to-human-error.aspx
• [3] M. Reich, “EXPRESS 5 out of service for the time being after accident – Ferries-Aktuell”. Accessed: December 27, 2024 [Online]. Available at: https://www.ferries-aktuell.de/express-5-nach-unfall-vorerst-ausser-betrieb/
• [4] sandra, “Port of Holyhead Closed until Mid-January after Storm Darragh Damage”, Ferry Shipping News. Accessed December 25, 2024 [Online]. Available at: https://ferryshippingnews.com/port-of-holyhead-closed-until-mid-january-after-storm-darragh-damage/
• [5] “Fred. Olsen Express to add BARLOVENTO EXPRESS to its fleet, Fred. Olsen Express to add BARLOVENTO EXPRESS to its fleet”, Shippax. Accessed December 24, 2024 [Online]. Available at: https://www.shippax.com/en/news/fred-olsen-express-to-add-barlovento-express-to-its-fleet-.aspx
• [6] “HSC INCAT 058 (2001)”. Accessed December 24, 2024 [Online]. Available at: https://www.faktaomfartyg.se/incat_058_2001.htm
• [7] “Caronte & Tourist takes delivery of double-ender PIETRO MONDELLO”, Shippax. Accessed December 24, 2024 [Online]. Available at: https://www.shippax.com/en/news/caronte-tourist-takes-delivery-of-double-ender-pietro-mondello.aspx
• [8] “The Grimaldi Group takes delivery of ECO SALERNO”, Shippax. Accessed: December 19, 2024 [Online]. Available at: https://www.shippax.com/en/news/the-grimaldi-group-takes-delivery-of-eco-salerno.aspx
• [9] sandra, “Fast Ferries Acquire Zante Ferries’ Fleet”, Ferry Shipping News. Accessed: December 19, 2024 [Online]. Available at: https://ferryshippingnews.com/fast-ferries-acquire-zante-ferries-fleet/
• [10] “The ferry site”. Accessed December 19, 2024 [Online]. Available at: https://www.ferry-site.dk/ferry.php?id=8909886&lang=en
• [11] “The ferry site”. Accessed December 19, 2024 [Online]. Available at: https://www.ferry-site.dk/ferry.php?id=8613607&lang=en
• [12] sandra, “IMAGE CARDS week 49-2024”, Ferry Shipping News. Accessed December 19, 2024 [Online]. Available at: https://ferryshippingnews.com/image-cards-week-49-2024/
• [13] “M/S ROSTOCK (1977)”. Accessed December 19, 2024 [Online]. Available at: https://www.faktaomfartyg.se/rostock_1977.htm

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