Hansa Destinations is a subsidiary to Gotlandsbolaget (Gotland Company) and has been conducting service between Nynäshamn and Rostock. The service has been performed by the vessel DROTTEN and vessels on charter to Hansa Destinations, ro-ro's ELIANA MARINO and CADENA 3.

The goal has been to offer freight customers, but also passengers, an effective and sustainable solution for transports and travels between the continent and the greater Stockholm area. The move from road to sea represents a major environmental benefit as well as a needed decrease of trucks on roads.

Now Hansa Destinations announces that they will suspend the service during 2023.

–We have operated the line during almost 1,5 years and have for some time been evaluating the profitability and the prospects. With the current cost of fuel and the challenges we have had to attract cargo volumes, the traffic is not profitable and the prospects for 2023 does not add up financially. We do not have a sound business case. The low numbers of cargo volumes have also meant that the environmental benefits that has been our goal, has not been achieved, says Håkan Johansson, CEO at Gotlandsbolaget.

We will not run the service between Nynäshamn and Rostock during 2023, but a new evaluation will be made for 2024. Håkan Johansson continues,

– We still believe in a service between Nynäshamn - Visby - Rostock that moves transportation of goods from road to sea and also is a direct link for passengers between both Nynäshamn and Visby to the continent. There are significant savings on the environment to be made by moving the transportation of goods. With a more normal fuel price and a positive interest from the market, we will consider re-opening the line for 2024.

Hansa Destinations has given the possibility for passengers to travel between Nynäshamn, Visby and Rostock. The numbers of passengers have surpassed the projections, but this has not compensated for the limited volumes from cargo customers.

The traffic will end after the arrival of ELIANA MARINO in Rostock on 18 December 2022, and of DROTTEN in Nynäshamn on 4 January 2023.

© Shippax