Viking Line experienced good demand, but energy prices decrease earnings

VIKING CINDERELLA © Søren Lund Hviid

Viking Line released its Q3 result for 2022, showing sales amounting to EUR 170.4 million (EUR 97.5 million), while operating income totalled at EUR 26.9 million (EUR 26.0 million). The January–September figures ended at sales of EUR 370.2 million (169.0 million) and operating income totalling at EUR 18.9 million (30.5 million).

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Tallink Grupp reported its best Q3 result since 2019

MYSTAR will be in service for Tallink in the second half of November

In the third quarter of 2022 Tallink Grupp’s unaudited net profit was EUR 37.9 million (EUR 5.5 million), while EBITDA reached EUR 67.7 million (EUR 35.1 million). The unaudited revenue for the quarter increased by 49,9% compared to the same period in 2021, totalling EUR 255.6 million (EUR 170.5 million).

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Production of the first Remontowa newbuild for Unity Line started

© Remontowa

A steel cut ceremony marked the production start of build number 101 at Remontowa. The new hybrid ro-pax is one of three sisters to be built at the Polish yard for Polskie Promy, two of which for Unity Line service, one for Polferries.

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Grimaldi Group orders five + five ammonia-ready 9,000 CEU capacity PCTC’s

© George Giannakis

Italy’s Grimaldi Group continues its ambitious fleet expansion plan apace, with its latest order for five + five ammonia-ready 9,000 CEU capacity PCTC’s at China Merchants Heavy Industry’s Jiangsu shipyard. The contract value for the confirmed five vessels, and the five options is worth EUR 1 billion. 

The five confirmed PCTC's will be delivered between 2025 and the end of 2026 and will satisfy Grimaldi's new market requirements, operating between Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and the Far East.

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SunStone Ships takes delivery of the two Infinity-class expedition vessels OCEAN ODYSSEY and SYLVIA EARLE

OCEAN ODYSSEY © SunStone

Miami-based expedition cruise ship specialist SunStone Ships took delivery of two further Infinity-class vessels from China Merchants Heavy Industry’s Haimen shipyard – OCEAN ODYSSEY and SYLVIA EARLE.

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GBP 115 million allocated for two newbuilding ro-pax ferries for CalMac’s Skye triangle service

After years of inactivity on the newbuilding front for new tonnage for Caledonian MacBrayne’s (CalMac) Clyde & Hebrides lifeline ferry services, suddenly this year has seen a rush of newbuilding orders for major vessels to reinforce and sustain the CalMac fleet. The Scottish government has now allocated GBP 115 million for the building of two new ro-pax ferries for use on CalMac’s Skye triangle service to Harris and North Uist.

The two new vessels will have the same specification as the two new Islay ferries ordered from Turkey's Cemre shipyard in March this year at a cost of GBP 91 million. The new vessels for the Skye triangle service will be operational in 2026 and replace the 2001-built 5,506 gt HEBRIDES, which currently operates the services.

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UECC takes delivery of AUTO ASPIRE - third and last LNG hybrid PCTC

AUTO ADVANCE was the first in the series and delivered in November 2021 © UECC

Oslo-based short-sea shipping car carrier specialist UECC took delivery of the 3,600 CEU capacity LNG hybrid PCTC AUTO ASPIRE from China’s Jiangnan Shipyard.

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Smyril Line drops Iceland from its winter timetable for NORRÖNA from 2023

NORRÖNA © Kai Ortel

Faroe Island-based ferry operator Smyril Lines is to stop calls in Iceland on its winter service for the ro-pax NORRÖNA from 2023, due to high fuel consumption figures for the vessel.

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DFDS retains contract to operate the Newhaven-Dieppe Transmanche Ferries service for another five years

2006-built SEVEN SISTERS © Peter Therkildsen

France’s Seine Maritime Department announced that DFDS has retained the contract to operate the ro-pax service between Newhaven and Dieppe for the next five years. The contract runs from 1 January 2023 through to 31 December 2027. 

DFDS uses the two French flag, French crewed ro-pax ferries CÓTE D’ALBÂTRE and SEVEN SISTERS on the route, which is branded Transmanche Ferries. 

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Condor Ferries charters Godby Shipping’s MIDAS as cover during COMMODORE GOODWILL’s extended drydocking in Spain

MIDAS © Peter Therkildsen

Channel Island’s ferry operator Condor Ferries has chartered Godby Shipping’s 1990-built ro-ro MIDAS for one month to cover the extended drydocking of its 1,250 lanemetre capacity freight ro-ro COMMODORE GOODWILL. The vessel damaged its propeller and drive shaft while entering drydock at Spain’s Astilleros de Santander repair yard, in the north of the country.

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Chantiers de l’Atlantique delivered MSC WORLD EUROPA to MSC Cruises

MSC WORLD EUROPA © MSC Cruises

The Cruise Division of MSC Group and Chantiers de l’Atlantique celebrated the delivery of MSC WORLD EUROPA, the world’s largest LNG-powered cruise ship and one of the first to incorporate fuel cell technology. 

On top of advances in terms of reduction of emissions and energy efficiency, MSC WORLD EUROPA also paves the way towards the uptake of carbon-neutral synthetic and other alternative fuels as soon as they are available at scale.  

Key figures:

• Gross Tonnage – 215,863
• Length – 333.3m
• Width – 47m
• Height – 68m
• Passenger cabins – 2,626
• Passenger Capacity – 6,762

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Project ZEHPHyr - A zero emission hydrogen powered hovercraft

A consortium, led by Blue Bear, has been awarded £569,067 in funding from the UK Government to help decarbonise the maritime sector. Project ZEHPHyr, Zero Emission Hydrogen Powered Hovercraft, is an eight-month feasibility study which aims to de-risk the key barriers to zero-emission hovercraft operations.

The central innovation in the project is investigating the feasibility of replacing diesel engines in today’s hovercraft with a zero-emission hydrogen propulsion system and in doing so, pave the way for follow-on phases of development, where the novel propulsion system will be demonstrated on 12-seat and 80-seat hovercraft. Introduction of zero-emission hovercraft into commercial service is expected after 2025.

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Molslinjen invests in Denmark

EXPRESS 5 will be delivered in January 2023 © Austal

An increasing private market is now causing Molslinjen to seriously invest in the Danes' desire to holiday in Denmark. From Easter 2023, a high-speed ferry will be released at Bornholm and allow four-ferry operation on the Kattegat. Among other things, this will mean more departures from both Aarhus and Ebeltoft. 

Four high-speed ferries on the Kattegat. This has been Molslinjen's plan since 2012, when the first large high-speed ferries were deployed. And from Easter 2023 the dream will come true. With the deployment of EXPRESS 5 on the Bornholm line's route between Rønne and Ystad, a fast ferry will be released on Bornholm.

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Rolls-Royce and Neste to cooperate on the implementation of sustainable fuels for mtu engines

Rolls-Royce and Neste have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to build a strategic partnership on the implementation of sustainable fuels for diesel engines. Both companies share a common vision: that sustainable fuels will play a key role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions in off-highway applications. The main components of the agreement are: promoting the use of existing internal combustion engines for sustainable fuels; advancing the transition from fossil fuels to sustainable fuels; and knowledge sharing on high-quality renewable diesel (HVO).

BC Ferries Clean Futures Plan-biodiesel’s role along the path to “net zero”

BC Ferries has removed the equivalent of nearly 3000 cars from the road over the past year and did so without altering a single sailing, or the customer experience. The key to the company’s success is in its recently released 2022 BC Ferries Clean Futures Plan. Ninety-eight per cent of BC Ferries’ greenhouse gas emissions comes from the combustion of fuels by vessels, so to reduce that footprint the company needs to move customers in a more environmentally positive manner.

GAC Sweden acquires local ship agency Hasting Ship Services AB-acquisition to expand GAC’s services in southern Sweden

Global shipping, logistics and marine services provider GAC Group has acquired Malmö-based ship agent Hasting Ship Services AB as part of GAC Sweden’s strategy to better support its customers in the south of the country. The deal, which was completed on 1 October, will add a physical presence in the port of Malmö (also covering Helsingborg, Landskrona and Ystad), and complementing GAC Sweden’s main office in Gothenburg and branches in Nynäshamn, Oxelösund, Stockholm and Västerås/Köping. As part of the acquisition, all existing personnel from Hasting will join the GAC team.

Baleària endorses its commitment to Morocco after 20 years offering reliable and quality maritime connections

Baleària endorsed its commitment to Morocco after 20 years operating the connection. The company brought together more than 200 people from the maritime and economic sectors at an event in Tangier where the company's president and general manager analysed the current context and shared the company's future plans in Morocco.

MAN Energy Solutions Signs Agreement with Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings

MAN Energy Solutions has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. (‘NCLH’ including its subsidiaries and brands). The MoU relates to a project to retrofit a medium-speed MAN 48/60 engine to make it capable of dual-fuel diesel/methanol operation.

Cruise Industry demonstrates commitment to pursuing net-zero carbon cruising globally by 2050

Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), the leading voice of the global cruise industry, released the results of its 2022 Global Cruise Industry Environmental Technologies and Practices Report, showing progress towards achieving the industry’s vision of net-zero carbon cruising globally by 2050.