Belfast Harbour to invest GBP 15 million on new terminal facilities for Stena’s new E-Flexers

STENA LAGAN and STENA MERSEY will be replaced by Stena's E-Flexers © Frank Lose

Belfast Harbour is to invest GBP 15 million in the redevelopment of Victoria Terminal 2 (VT2) in the port to meet the requirements of Stena Line’s two new E-Flexer ro-pax ferries which will enter service on the company’s Belfast-Birkenhead (Liverpool) route in 2020 and 2021.

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National Audit Office says the British Government was warned last year about no-deal Brexit ferry pay-outs

© Philippe Holthof

In the latest episode of the ongoing no-deal Brexit ferry contracts soap opera, the UK’s National Audit Office (NAO) has revealed that the British Government was warned last year that it would face a bill of up to GBP 20 million if sued over the procurement of no-deal Brexit ferry services.

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DFDS to operate the Stora Enso Gothenburg-Zeebrugge service for the next five years

SLINGEBORG and SCHIEBORG will be supplemented by a third ship on the Gothenburg-Zeebrugge service, expected to be FIONIA SEAWAYS © Kai Ortel

DFDS has signed a five-year agreement with Stora Enso to ship about 700,000 tonnes of paper annually between Gothenburg and Zeebrugge, a service currently operated by SOL Continent Line. DFDS’s new route, which will offer six sailings in each direction, will start in mid-June.

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Jinling hands over BELGIA SEAWAYS to DFDS

Everybody happy: DFDS, Jinling Shipyard and the shipbrokers - BELGIA SEAWAYS has officially been handed over © DFDS

Jinling Shipyard has delivered BELGIA SEAWAYS to DFDS. The 6,695-lanemetre super freighter is expected to leave China for the Mediterranean soon.

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EUROPEAN ENDEAVOUR to be adapted for Gulf of Finland service

EUROPEAN ENDEAVOUR will fuel the competition on the Helsinki/Vuosaari-Tallinn/Muuga corridor © Frank Lose

Ever since the news about the acquisition of P&O Ferries’ 1,950-lanemetre EUROPEAN ENDEAVOUR by Rederi AB Eckerö emerged last week, it has been difficult to reach Björn Blomqvist, Rederi AB Eckerö’s managing director. “This is because EUROPEAN ENDEAVOUR has kept me extremely busy of late,” he told Shippax, who asked him some more details about the company’s plans with the ship.

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Trasmediterránea appoints new managing director

Francisco Oviedo Raposo, Trasmediterránea's new MD © Trasmediterránea

Francisco Oviedo Raposo has been appointed as managing director of Trasmediterránea by new owners Naviera Armas.

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Trasmediterránea to accept VILLA DE TEROR after sea trials

VILLA DE TEROR in the centenary Trasmediterránea livery - a new livery has meanwhile been adotped © Factorías Vulcano

The ro-pax ferry VILLA DE TEROR – originally ordered by Viking Line in 2007 under the project name VIKING ADCC– will undergo yet another set of sea trials on 10, 11 and 12 May, and subject to performing to the required standards, will be accepted into the Armas-Trasmediterránea fleet.

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W.D.R. takes delivery of 250-passenger catamaran RÜM HART

© W.D.R.

The German island ferry operator, Wyker Dampfschiffs-Reederei Föhr Amrum GmbH (W.D.R.), has taken delivery of a 250-passenger capacity catamaran built by Thecla Bodewes Shipyards in Harlingen, the Netherlands.

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Costa names its second Chinese market designed cruise ship COSTA FIRENZE

The Italy- and Venice-themed sister ship COSTA VENEZIA was delivered in February © Costa Cruises

COSTA FIRENZE is the name of the sister ship to COSTA VENEZIA, which was handed over from Fincantieri to Costa Cruises in February. Both vessels offer a series of innovations designed specifically for the Chinese market with the guests allowed to discover Italian culture and lifestyle.

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ODYSSEY OF THE SEAS takes shape at Meyer Werft

SPECTRUM OF THE SEAS was handed over in Bremerhaven in April © Frank Behling

Following the lifting and positioning of a 79-tonne steel block into one of the covered building docks at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, the keel for ODYSSEY OF THE SEAS – Royal Caribbean International’s (RCI) second Quantum Ultra Class vessel – has officially been laid.

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MARIA GRAZIA ONORATO on its way to Italy

MARIA GRAZIA ONORATO is expected to arrive in Porto Ferraio on 13 May © Peter Therkildsen

Following its inline scrubber installation at Fayard in Munkebo (Odense), the Flensburger Shipyard-built MARIA GRAZIA ONORATO has left Denmark for Porto Ferraio, Italy on 4 May.

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Brødrene Aa delivers catamaran REGINE NORMANN

Sister vessel ELSA LAULA RENBERG was delivered in January © Brødrene Aa

Norwegian builders Brødrene Aa have delivered the 44m carbon fibre reinforced sandwich catamaran REGINE NORMANN to Nordland Fylkeskommune.

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Financials

Weaker 1Q for Tallink Grupp

Tallink Grupp has released its unaudited financial results for 1Q, 2019, showing a 2.9% decline in revenues to EUR 178.9 million and a net loss of EUR 25.3 million (EUR 19.6 million in 1Q 2018)

DFDS 1Q results

DFDS has just released its 1Q financial results, showing an 11% increase in revenue to DKK 3.9 billion, and an increase of EBITDA of 13% to DKK 677 million.

Finnlines’ financial review for January–March released

Finnlines' financial review for the January-March 2019 period has been released. Commenting on the results, Emanuele Grimaldi, Finnlines' President and CEO said: “The Finnlines Group’s revenue for January-March 2019 was EUR 137.6 million, which was an increase of 2.0% compared to the same period last year. The result for the reporting period was EUR 16.2 million compared to EUR 16.5 million in January-March 2018.

Press Releases

DFDS signs contract for new headquarters

DFDS and the pension fund investor PensionDanmark signed an agreement to build new head office for DFDS at Marmorvej near the Copenhagen – Oslo route’s terminal.

First sod turned for Port of Ystad’s new berths

The Polish vice Minister of Maritime Economy and Inland Waterways together with local political representatives turned the first sod in Port of Ystad’s anticipated building project. The ceremony marked the official start of the building of the Port’s new ferry berths, an extensive infrastructural project co-financed by the EU.

The cruise industry is setting course for more sustainability

29 cruise destinations have signed a manifesto pledging increased sustainability. This is the result of the ambitious international cruise conference that just took place in Copenhagen.

IMO maritime data solution available after launch in Antigua and Barbuda

A successful International Maritime Organization (IMO) project promoted by Norway to establish a maritime "single window" in Antigua and Barbuda has been completed – and the source code for the system will now be made available to other countries who need it.

Wärtsilä becomes first Ballast Water Management System supplier to be granted dual technology USCG Type Approval

The technology group Wärtsilä’s Aquarius UV Ballast Water Management System (BWMS) has been granted US Coastguard (USCG) Type Approval. With the company’s other BWMS technology, the Wärtsilä Aquarius EC, already Type Approved by USCG, Wärtsilä becomes the first manufacturer able to offer two USCG Type Approved BWMS technologies.