FährNews Aktuell – Issue October 2023

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

• Stena Line discontinues route – why the Swedish shipping company is giving up a connection that was not established until 2022
• Accident on the Eckerö – ramp buries car under itself
• And Marco Polo ran aground – how the connection to Klaïpeda will now continue
• You can find out all this and much more in this issue of FährNews Aktuell. So stay tuned until the end to make sure you don’t miss anything!

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

1 Biogas as fuel for AURORA BOTNIA

[1] Wasaline will run the AURORA BOTNIA on certified biogas one day a week from October 13 in preparation for the EU Emissions Trading Scheme, which comes into force next year.

The AURORA BOTNIA is now the most environmentally friendly Ferry in the world, but the efforts to reduce the carbon footprint will go even further, explains the Managing Director of Wasaline, Peter Ståhlberg.

For Wasaline, this is a project to gauge the interest of cargo owners and passengers and to determine whether it is financially viable to continue purchasing biogas.

Wasaline has already reduced its CO2 emissions this year by 22 percent compared to the previous year. The use of biogas will further reduce the AURORA BOTNIA’s CO2 emissions.

With the four departures on Fridays, 18 percent of the total weekly departures are powered by biogas.

[2] The AURORA BOTNIA, which entered service in 2021, operates for Wasaline on the route between Vaasa in Finland and Holmsund near Umeå in Sweden.

2 Connection between Nynäshamn and Hanko discontinued

[3] At the beginning of October, the Swedish ferry operator Stena Line announced the discontinuation of its route between Nynäshamn in Sweden and Hanko in Finland. The main reason is the lack of demand from freight customers due to the development of the current geopolitical situation. The route was only operated until October 20 before the two ships used on the route, STENA GOTHICA and URD, were redeployed on the charter market or within the Stena Line fleet.

[4] At least there is some news about the latter. It will be used as a replacement for the damaged MARCO POLO from TT-Line. But we will come back to the accident in a moment.

[3] The ferry company Stena Line only launched a new route between Nynäshamn and Hanko at the beginning of 2022. At the time, it was responding to high demand on the market and a direct request from customers of the existing logistics network.

However, due to the development of the current geopolitical situation, previous freight rates have declined and services on the market are saturated. As a result, demand from Stena Line ‘s trade customers on this route has not developed as expected.

The Finnish government’s decision to exclude ships sailing via Åland from the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) from January 1, 2024 will also lead to a disparate trading landscape with a clear advantage for trading via Åland.

The Trade Director Baltic Sea North at Stena Line, Johan Edelman, says that it was with a heavy heart that they reached the point where they had to discontinue the route between Sweden and Finland. This was a very difficult decision, he continues, but after weighing up all the aspects, it was the right decision.

Stena Line is in dialog with the union and the employees on the route and keeps them informed. All freight customers and passengers will be informed and will receive a refund if they have booked tickets for departures after October 20. They will also be supported in finding another means of transportation if necessary.

3 Accident on the car deck of the ECKERÖ

[5] Two people were injured on the ECKERÖ of the ECKERÖ LINJEN on October 13, 2023.

[6] The Ferry ECKERÖ, built in 1979, was being loaded in Grisslehamn, Sweden, at the time of the accident when, according to the shipping company, a steel cable on the vehicle deck broke and a ramp fell onto a car below. Two people were injured. A rescue helicopter was also used to rescue the injured.

[7] In addition to the personal injuries, the accident also caused considerable damage to the car, to which a trailer was attached. The police investigation is ongoing. There is a suspicion of negligent bodily injury. At the time of the accident, there were 592 passengers and 135 cars on board. The shipping company canceled several departures until the evening while the authorities’ investigation on board continued.

[8] Since the incident, the ship has been sailing with a reduced load. Further safety checks are also being carried out on the vehicle decks. The Ferry is the shipping company’s only ship. It sails several times a day on the approximately 40 km route between Grisslehamn and Berghamn on the Åland island of Eckerö.

4 MARCO POLO ran aground

[9] On the morning of October 22, the TT-Line Ferry MARCO POLO had an incident off the coast of southern Sweden on its way from Trelleborg to Karlshamn. At around 3.25 a.m., the ship, with 41 passengers and 30 crew members on board, ran aground about 5 nautical miles southwest of its port of destination. The MARCO POLO suffered damage to its hull, resulting in an oil leak. According to reports, a strong smell of oil can be detected along the coast, [10] and the civil defense began cleaning up the spill on Monday, October 23. Water has also entered the Ferry, but according to a spokesperson for the transport authorities, the ship remains afloat.

No injuries were reported and the ship was successfully evacuated. According to the shipping company TT-Line, the evacuated passengers are being looked after and offered hotels and travel options. Remaining crew members, together with Swedish authorities and insurance companies, are assessing the damage caused. According to the Swedish Coast Guard’s chief investigator, Jonatan Örn, the ship went off course. However, the exact cause of the accident is currently unknown. Investigations have already been initiated.

5 PRIDE OF KENT leaves the English Channel

[11] After the PRIDE OF BURGUNDY, a second former P&O Ferries Dover-Calais-Ferry has now gone for scrapping following the arrival of the new flagship P&O PIONEER. The PRIDE OF KENT left Calais for the last time on October 9th, after spending several months first in Dover and then in Tilbury. Her destination is Aliaga in Turkey, where she is to be recycled – the same destination and fate that befell her sister ship, PRIDE OF BURGUNDY, earlier this year.

The PRIDE OF KENT was originally ordered by P&O Ferries as part of a series of four Ferries, which served the then busy route from Dover to Zeebrugge in competition with the Channel Tunnel.

The ship already ended its service for P&O Ferries in June and has not been in operation since then.

P&O Ferries expects to take delivery of the P&O PIONEER’s sister ship, the P&O LIBERTÉ, before the end of this year.

6 Moby announces new route between Italy, Sardinia and Corsica

[12] The Italian shipping company Moby has announced a new triple connection from Genoa in northern Italy via Ajaccio in Corsica to Porto Torres in Sardinia. The company explains that the line to Ajaccio will double the convenience of arriving in Corsica by calling directly at Ajaccio, the capital of Corsica, thus avoiding any further loss of time crossing Corsica after arriving from Italy at one of the eastern Corsican ports.

Moby also explains that the extension of the route to Porto Torres will make it possible to further improve exchanges between Sardinia and Corsica, both from a tourist and commercial point of view. This route between Corsica and Sardinia is in addition to the existing connection that Moby ensures all year round with the route between Bonifacio in Corsica and Santa Teresa di Gallura in Sardinia.

7 New Ferry for Sicily

[13] The region of Sicily has ordered a new Ferry from the Italian Fincantieri shipyard for the connection between Sicily, Lampedusa and Pantelleria. The Ferry will be around 140 meters long, reach a maximum speed of 19 knots and have a capacity of 1,000 people and 200 cars on board. The ship will be powered by a dual-fuel LNG engine and a photovoltaic system will also be installed on board, which, thanks to energy storage in a battery pack, will ensure that the ship can remain in port for around four hours with zero emissions. The newbuild is being built entirely at the Fincantieri shipyard in Palermo and is scheduled for delivery in 2026.

“The signing of this contract marks a turning point for connections with the smaller islands of Sicily. Our region is the first in Italy to use the funds allocated by the Ministry of Transport for maritime connections and the first to be the full owner of Ferry. We will improve the quality and safety standards of maritime transport for Lampedusa and Pantelleria, with a modern vessel that also guarantees environmental protection,” said the President of Sicily Schifani.

For Fincantieri, the award of this contract is an important test. In an industry that has migrated to Asian shipyards over time, the company now has the opportunity to bring ferry production back to Italy, rehabilitate its historical skills in the sector and demonstrate its ability to be competitive while ensuring the highest production standards. The strength of the project lies once again in the technologies to reduce the environmental impact, which take into account the needs of the energy transition and will shape the maritime transport of tomorrow, commented Pierroberto Folgiero, CEO and Managing Director of Fincantieri.

8 Adria Ferries confirms the purchase of the CRUISE SMERALDA

[14] Adria Ferries, based in Ancona, Italy, has officially announced the acquisition of the RoPax-Ferry CRUISE SMERALDA.

[15] The CRUISE SMERALDA was built in 1997 as the IKARUS and operated from 2001 to 2016 as the IKARUS PALACE for Minoan Lines.

[14] Since 2016, the RoPax-Ferry has been called CRUISE SMERALDA and was last used by Finnlines on the Malmö-Travemünde route. Finnlines is a subsidiary of the Grimaldi Group.

[16] The CRUISE SMERALDA will now be renamed AF MIA [14] and will start its service for Adria Ferries in November. The Ferry will operate between Italy and Albania, connecting both sides of the Adriatic. It has a capacity of 1,500 passengers and offers space for 2,200 lane meters of cargo.

The CRUISE SMERALDA arrived in the port of Ancona at the beginning of October and represents a significant addition to the Adria Ferries fleet.

Adria Ferries achieved an impressive financial performance in 2022 with a turnover of EUR 68 million and a profit of EUR 18 million. The company was actively on the lookout for greater transport capacity last year in order to further expand its operations.

[17] The fleet of Adria Ferries has an average age of 30 years and, with the integration of AF MIA, comprises more than 4 ships.

But that’s it for the October issue of FährNews Aktuell in 2023. 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 latest issue of FährNews Aktuell. Among other things, it dealt with a death blow in Piraeus, the insolvency of Holland Norway Lines and the discontinuation of routes at Fjord Line. Have fun and see you soon!

9 Sources

• [1] “Wasaline to start operating their AURORA BOTNIA with certified biogas”, Shippax. Accessed: October 22, 2023 [Online]. Available at: https://www.shippax.com/en/news/wasaline-to-start-operating-their-aurora-botnia-with-certified-biogas.aspx
• [2] “Aurora Botnia”, Wikipedia. April 6, 2023. accessed: October 22, 2023. [Online]. Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Aurora_Botnia&oldid=232533290
• [3] “Stena Line discontinues route between Nynäshamn in Sweden and Hanko in Finland from 20 October”, News Powered by Cision. Accessed: October 23, 2023 [Online]. Available at: https://news.cision.com/stena-line/r/stena-line-discontinues-route-between-nynashamn-in-sweden-and-hanko-in-finland-from-20-october,c3849285
• [4] “Ferry from Karlshamn to Klaipėda | TT-Line”. Accessed: October 25, 2023 [Online]. Available at: https://www.ttline.com/de/nach-litauen/ferry-karlshamn-klaipeda/
• [5] “Olycka på Eckerölinjen i Grisslehamn: Bildäck rasade”. Accessed October 23, 2023 [Online]. Available at: https://www.aftonbladet.se/a/eJgybK
• [6] “Olycka på Eckerölinjen – två lindrigt skadade | Nyheter | Expressen”. Accessed October 23, 2023 [Online]. Available at: https://www.expressen.se/nyheter/olycka-pa-eckerolinjen-larm-om-tva-skadade/
• [7] E. Läsarbild, “Polisen utreder olyckan på Eckerölinjen som grovt brott”. Accessed October 23, 2023 [Online]. Verfügbar unter: https://www.hbl.fi/artikel/36a7238a-fcda-577b-a809-24410e01cab3
• [8] “Trafikinformation – Eckerö Linjen”, Eckerö Linjen AX. Accessed October 23, 2023 [Online]. Available at: https://www.eckerolinjen.ax/trafikinformation
• [9] “TT-Line’s MARCO POLO ran aground”, Shippax. Accessed October 26, 2023 [Online]. Available at: https://www.shippax.com/en/news/tt-lines-marco-polo-ran-aground.aspx
• [10] “Ferry runs aground off southern Sweden and loses diesel”, stern.de. Accessed: October 26, 2023 [Online]. Available at: https://www.stern.de/panorama/weltgeschehen/vor-schweden–ferry-laeuft-auf-grund-und-verliert-diesel-33936324.html
• [11] “Second P&O Dover Ferry Leaves for Recycling in Türkiye – niferry.co.uk”. Accessed: October 23, 2023 [Online]. Available at: https://www.niferry.co.uk/second-po-dover-ferry-leaves-for-recycling-in-turkiye/
• [12] “Two new Moby lines between Italy, Corsica and Sardinia”, Italy 24 Press News. Accessed: October 23, 2023 [Online]. Available at: https://news.italy24.press/local/936067.html
• [13] “Sicily and Fincantieri sign contract for new ro-pax”, Shippax. Accessed: October 23, 2023 [Online]. Available at: https://www.shippax.com/en/news/sicily-and-fincantieri-sign-contract-for-new-ro-pax.aspx
• [14] sandra, “Adria Ferries Confirms Acquisition of CRUISE SMERALDA for Its Fleet”, Ferry Shipping News. Accessed: October 23, 2023 [Online]. Available at: https://ferryshippingnews.com/adria-ferries-confirms-acquisition-of-cruise-smeralda-for-its-fleet/
• [15] “M/S IKARUS (1997)”. Accessed October 23, 2023 [Online]. Available at: https://www.faktaomfartyg.se/ikarus_1997.htm
• [16] “Adria Ferries launches AF Mia: a new travel philosophy”. Accessed October 23, 2023 [Online]. Available at: https://www.adriaferries.com/en/news-adria-ferries-3/538-adria-ferries-launches-af-mia-a-new-travel-philosophy.html
• [17] “Ships – Adria Ferries”. Accessed October 23, 2023 [Online]. Available at: https://www.adriaferries.com/en/ferries.html

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