FährNews Aktuell – Issue June 2025

VIKING HELIOS presented, conversion of Scandlines-Ferries starts and much more. | FährNews News

Hello and welcome to the June issue of FährNews Aktuell in 2025. The top topics of this episode are presented by Faehren.net, where you can easily book Ferries online:

• Viking Line introduces VIKING HELIOS – what the world’s largest all-electric RoPaxFerry has to offer
• Conversion of the first Scandlines-Ferry starts – how Scandlines is preparing for the Fehmarnbelt tunnel
• And: Molslinjen and Torghatten to be sold – Why the two ferry companies are to change hands

The top topics of the June issue of FährNews Aktuell were presented by Faehren.net, the simple 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 June issue of FährNews Aktuell for you to read again:

1 Viking Line introduces VIKING HELIOS

[1] The Finnish shipping company Viking Line together with the shipyard Rauma Marine Constructions, has presented the concept for what is currently the world’s largest all-electric ro-paxFerry. The VIKING HELIOS was specially designed for the route between Tallinn and Helsinki and is intended to enable completely emission-free ferry traffic across the Gulf of Finland in future.

The plan is for a ship around 195 meters long and 30 meters wide with a capacity for around 2,000 passengers and 2,000 loading meters for vehicles. The propulsion system is designed for maximum efficiency and enables a maximum speed of around 23 knots. All-electric operation is ensured by battery storage with a capacity of between 85 and 100 MWh. In order to charge the VIKING HELIOS, the port infrastructure would have to provide charging capacity of over 30 MW.

[2] The hull of the ship was designed to be particularly streamlined and weight-optimized in order to further improve range and energy consumption.

[1] The concept is part of a comprehensive project to decarbonize ferry traffic between Finland and Estonia. Whether and when the VIKING HELIOS will actually be realized is likely to be decided in the coming years.

2 Conversion of the first Scandlines-Ferry starts

[3] Scandlines is pushing ahead with the electrification of its fleet: the two Fehmarnbelt shipsFerries SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN and DEUTSCHLAND, which were built in 1997 and operate on the Puttgarden-Rødby route, will be fully converted to plug-in hybrid drive by the beginning of 2026. The company is investing over 31 million euros in this project.

At the heart of the conversion are new battery systems with a capacity of 5 MWh each as well as modern charging facilities on board and at the ferry terminals in Puttgarden and Rødby. The aim is to reduce CO2 emissions by up to 80%. During operation, the ships should be able to charge their batteries with at least 80% of the energy required for a crossing within just twelve minutes.

A contract has already been signed with the Lithuanian company Western Shiprepair to carry out the conversion. The conversion of the first Ferry will start at the end of August 2025, followed by the second from December. Completion of both units is planned for early 2026.

The measure is part of Scandlines’s long-term sustainability strategy: the Puttgarden-Rødby route is to be operated completely emission-free by 2030. By 2040, the company is aiming for emission-free operations overall – in line with international climate targets.

The project is being funded by the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport as part of a programme for the sustainable modernization of coastal vessels. Up to 40% of the conversion costs will be covered.

In recent years, Scandlines has already invested around 380 million euros in emission-reducing technologies – including hybrid ferries for the Rostock-Gedser route, innovative rotor sails, low-noise propulsion systems, algae-repellent underwater coatings and modern propeller technologies.

In addition to converting existing ships, the shipping company is also expecting the first newbuild with an all-electric drive system shortly: the new FUTURA, built at the Turkish Cemre shipyard, is due to join the fleet in summer 2025.

[4] The ambitious future strategy is also based on the Fehmarnbelt Tunnel, which is planned from 2029 and will complement the ferry connection between Germany and Denmark.

[5] However, Scandlines confirms that it will continue to expand ferry transport as an attractive and climate-friendly alternative in the future.

If you would like to experience the Puttgarden-Rødby connection for yourself, then book your ticket for the Ferry with our partner Faehren.net. Here you can also see all the alternative crossing options directly when you make your booking if, for example, a departure doesn’t fit into your schedule. You will also receive a price overview of the individual shipping companies during the booking process. At Faehren.net you can easily book online at Ferries. You can also find the link to Faehren.net at the top of the video description or at the end of this video in the endcard.

3 Molslinjen and Torghatten before sale

[6] According to reports in the Danish business newspaper Børsen, the Swedish investment fund EQT has initiated a sales process for the Oslo-based company Nordic Ferry Infrastructure (NFI). The information has not yet been officially confirmed by any of the parties involved.

Nordic Ferry Infrastructure was formed in February 2022 through the merger of the Danish company Molslinjen and the Norwegian company Torghatten. The ferry operator ForSea was also integrated in January 2023. Today, NFI is one of the leading pan-Nordic ferry operators with more than 60 routes and over 100 vessels. Over 25 million passengers are transported every year.

Torghatten operates over 70 car ferries and smaller passenger ships on around 40 routes along the Norwegian coast, mostly under public transport contracts. Molslinjen connects the most important Danish cities and several islands with the mainland and also operates services to Sweden and Germany. Molslinjen’s fleet currently comprises a total of 18 ships on 10 routes, partly under concession and partly on a commercial basis with high barriers to entry.

EQT had already acquired Molslinjen from the investment firm Polaris in 2020. Since then, Molslinjen has been able to continuously increase its sales, which now makes Nordic Ferry Infrastructure particularly attractive to investors.

There are also the following newsflashes this month:

4 TALLINK Group charters out ROMANTIKA

[7] The Estonian Tallink Group has again chartered out its Ferry ROMANTIKA.

[8] The ship had already been chartered to Holland Norway Lines from 2021 to 2023 before it was largely laid up in Estonia after its return.

[7] The ROMANTIKA has been in the Mediterranean since May 31, initially for nine months. As part of a new charter contract, the Algerian Madar Maritime Company (MMC) is operating the Ferry under the subsidiary brand ANDALOUZA. It will offer two weekly crossings between the Spanish ports of Alicante and Almeria as well as Oran and Mostaganem in Algeria. The contract also includes an extension option for two further periods of six months each.

According to Tallink, the charter business has a positive effect on the company’s financial results. This allows the fleet to be used flexibly and economically in a changing business environment.

In addition to the ROMANTIKA, the GALAXY I and the SILJA EUROPA are also currently on charter – although both are being used as stationary refugee accommodation in the Netherlands.

5 La Méridionale announces names for new buildings

[9] The French shipping company La Méridionale has announced the names of its two new hybrid RoPaxFerries: ALBANOVA and AZURA. The newbuilds are currently under construction at the CMI Jinling shipyard in Weihai, China, and are due to enter service in 2027. Inspired by Corsica’s nickname “Island of Beauty”, the ships will represent the region’s maritime heritage.

The newbuilds, which cost around 400 million euros, rely on state-of-the-art drive technology: in addition to a 21,000 kW LNG main drive, they have a multi-fuel drive for the later use of biogas or synthetic methane. A 13 MWh battery system enables emission-free port operation – particularly advantageous for the ports in Corsica, which only have limited shore power solutions.

At 180 meters long and 30.8 meters wide, the ships offer space for 932 passengers in 264 cabins, including 21 luxury cabins with balconies.

At the same time, the French trade newspaper Le Marin reports that the parent company CMA CGM is currently examining a possible sale of La Méridionale.

6 Algérie Ferries charters EL. VENIZELOS

[10] The Greek ferry operator ANEK Lines has chartered its Ferry EL. VENIZELOS to the Algerian state shipping company Algérie Ferries on a long-term charter.

[11] In future, the ship will mainly be used on the routes between Alicante and Algiers and between Alicante and Oran.

Previously, the EL. VENIZELOS operated on various routes in the eastern Mediterranean and, with its size, remains one of the most important passenger ferries in the region.

[12] The Ferry was laid in 1983 on behalf of Stena Line in Poland at Kiel. However, the original contract was canceled due to construction delays. ANEK Lines took over the shell and had the ship completed in Perama according to its own plans by 1992.
Today, the EL. VENIZELOS is 175 meters long and 29 meters wide. It offers space for up to 2,500 passengers in around 900 cabins and 1,650 loading meters for vehicles and trucks.

7 FährNews ceases operations

After more than three and a half years of intensive reporting on the world of Ferries, an era is now coming to an end: FährNews will no longer be producing new videos for the time being. For personal and professional reasons, our team is no longer able to devote the necessary time to researching, editing and publishing.

Since the start in 2022, we have accompanied countless ship launches, route reports, fleet changes and market movements – with the aim of presenting current developments in an understandable and enthusiastic way. Over 50 videos have been created in this way – always with a passion for the ferry world and the aim of bringing more transparency to the industry.

Our deepest thanks go to everyone who has supported us along the way: through calls, subscriptions, comments and constructive feedback. Without you, this project would not have been what it was.

FährNews is now saying goodbye for the time being. It cannot be ruled out that videos on special topics or developments will appear on this channel again in the future. But for now, it’s over for now. Because that’s it for the June issue of FährNews Aktuell in 2025. 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!

To book your ferry crossing, you can now click on the link to Faehren.net. Otherwise, feel free to subscribe! If you haven’t had enough FährNews yet, we can recommend the last issue of FährNews Aktuell. Among other things, it dealt with the founding of the new Polish ferry operator PolSca Ferries and the imminent sale of Naviera Armas. Have fun and see you soon!

Sources

• [1] “Viking Line Unveils VIKING HELIOS, the World’s Largest Electric Passenger-Car Ferry for the Helsinki-Tallinn Route”, Shippax. Accessed June 23, 2025 [Online]. Available at: https://www.shippax.com/en/news/viking-line-unveils-viking-helios-the-worlds-largest-electric-passenger-car-ferry-for-the-helsinkitallinn-route.aspx
• [2] sandra, “Viking Line Unveils Concept for World’s Largest Electric Passenger-Car Ferry”, Ferry Shipping News. Accessed June 23, 2025 [Online]. Available at: https://ferryshippingnews.com/viking-line-unveils-concept-for-worlds-largest-electric-passenger-car-ferry/
• [3] “Scandlines protects the Baltic Sea: conversion of the FehmarnbeltFerries to plug-in hybrid”, Mynewsdesk. Accessed: June 23, 2025 [Online]. Available at: https://www.mynewsdesk.com/de/scandlines/pressreleases/scandlines-schutzt-die-ostsee-umrustung-der-fehmarnbelt-ferries-to-plug-in-hybrid-3388739
• [4] “Construction process”. Accessed: June 23, 2025 [Online]. Available at: https://femern.com/de/bauarbeiten/bauablauf/
• [5] “Our mission is to create unique ferry experiences | Scandlines”. Accessed June 23, 2025 [Online]. Available at: https://www.scandlines.de/uber-uns/wir-fahren-weiter/
• [6] “Nordic Ferry Infrastructure reportedly up for sale”, Shippax. Accessed: June 23, 2025 [Online]. Available at: https://www.shippax.com/en/news/nordic-ferry-infrastructure-reportedly-up-for-sale.aspx
• [7] “AS Tallink Grupp has signed a charter agreement with Algeria’s state-owned company Madar Maritime Company for ROMANTIKA”, Shippax. Accessed: June 23, 2025 [Online]. Available at: https://www.shippax.com/en/news/as-tallink-grupp-has-signed-a-charter-agreement-with-algerias-state-owned-company-madar-maritime-company-for-romantika.aspx
• [8] “M/S ROMANTIKA (2002)”. Accessed June 23, 2025 [Online]. Available at: https://www.faktaomfartyg.se/romantika_2002.htm
• [9] “La Méridionale Unveils Names for Chinese-built Ro-Pax Pair”, Shippax. Accessed June 23, 2025 [Online]. Available at: https://www.shippax.com/en/news/la-meridionale-unveils-names-for-chinese-built-ro-pax-pair.aspx
• [10] “Algérie Ferries takes ANEK’s EL VENIZELOS on long-term charter”, Shippax. Accessed: June 23, 2025 [Online]. Available at: https://www.shippax.com/en/news/algerie-ferries-takes-aneks-el-venizelos-on-long-term-charter.aspx
• [11] “IMAGE CARDS week 25-2025”, Ferry Shipping News. Accessed: June 23, 2025 [Online]. Available at: https://ferryshippingnews.com/image-cards-week-20-2025-2-2/
• [12] “El. Venizelos”, Wikipedia. May 31, 2025, accessed June 23, 2025 [Online]. Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=El._Venizelos&oldid=256521413

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