Balearic Islands News

A small number of people were injured on Sunday during a "weather-related incident" involving P&O Cruises Britannia ship moored in the Spanish island of Mallorca, a spokesperson for the company said.Port authorities in the capital Palma said the ship collided with a petrol tanker because of high winds. The BBC said it broken free of its moorings in a storm."P&O Cruises Britannia was involved in a weather-related incident while alongside in Palma de Mallorca. A small number of individuals sustained minor injuries and are being cared for by the onboard medical centre…

A ferry ran aground off the Spanish island of Ibiza on Saturday night, an incident the emergency services told local media had left 25 people injured, two seriously, including a 10-year-old boy.The San Gwann ferry, operated by German shipping company FRS, runs between Ibiza and Formentera, the smallest of Spain's Balearic islands.It was leaving Ibiza's port at 9.30 p.m. on Saturday night when it ran aground on the islet of Es Malvins, FRS said in a statement.It said the ferry…

Spain is to uphold a ban on cruise liners from docking at its ports to stop the spread of COVID-19, according to a ministerial order published on Saturday.Cruise liners carrying thousands of passengers regularly stop off at ports in the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands, Barcelona and Malaga, but were prohibited when Spain went into lockdown on March 14.With their crowds of often elderly passengers, cruise ships have been especially vulnerable to outbreaks of the virus and…

Damen Shipyards Group has signed a contract with Spain-based major ferry operator Baleària for the delivery of a Stan Tug 1606 E3.The contract was signed by Mr. Ettore Morace and Mr. Guillermo Alomar, executive director of operations and fleet director of Baleària respectively and Carlos Gonzalez Martin on behalf of Damen. The vessel is an answer to increasing demands for sustainability in the maritime industry. It will be the first IMO Tier III compliant tug to operate in the…

Spanish emergency services have largely put out a fire aboard a vehicle transport ship off the island of Mallorca after some of the crew were airlifted to safety earlier on Wednesday.The Sea Rescue Society posted a short video on Twitter showing fire ships spraying water over a small section of the covered upper decks of the Italian-flagged "Grande Europa", which had been blackened by the flames, but had no smoke or fire coming out of it.It said 15 out of the 25-strong crew had been taken off the ship by helicopter and were safe, and the fire had been "practically extinguished by three rescue ships and the vessel's own anti-fire systems".The Balearic Islands Emergency Service said the rest of the crew had remained on board helping to combat the fire.

The ferry business, unlike more industrial parts of the shipping business, touches wide swaths of the world’s population across continents. The membership of Interferry, the leading trade group for the industry, with non-Governmental organization (NGO) status at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) includes 200+ members from all parts of the ferry spectrum. These include passenger ferries (including fast ferries), Ro/Pax and cruise ferries operating globally. In selecting “the best” we looked beyond the league tables of “the most” (passengers) and “the biggest” (fleet size).

Spain's Port of Barcelona closed financial year 2018 with a 15% increase in container traffic and record results in the main traffic indicators.According to a press release, the results also confirm the increase in intermodality, with significant growth in rail transport and Motorways of the Sea, helping to boost the sustainability of the logistics chains that pass through the Port of Barcelona.During financial year 2018, the Catalan infrastructure channelled 67.7 million tonnes of traffic - involving all cargo modes - representing a year-on-year increase of 10% and setting a new record for the Port."This result was driven largely by the excellent progression in container traffic, the most representative of the surrounding economy, which was over 3.4 million TEU, marking a 15% increase.

Costa Cruises is continuing to expand and renew its fleet of ships flying the Italian flag. At Fincantieri's Marghera shipyard, construction has begun on a new 135,500-ton ship with 2,116 cabins, due for delivery in 2020. Like its twin Costa Venezia, it will be designed specifically for the Chinese market. Between 2019 and 2021, four new ships will enter service for Costa, with an overall increase in capacity of 43%. Costa Venezia, currently under construction in the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, is due to arrive in February 2019, while the flagship Costa Smeralda, the first cruise ship for the world market powered by LNG, built by Meyer Turku shipyard (Finland)…

Spanish shipping company Baleària Eurolínias Marítimas (Balearia)’s first of two liquefied natural gas (LNG)-fuelled ferries, Hypatia de Alejandría, has been floated out at the Italian shipyard Cantiere Navale Visentini. The first ferry named Hypatia de Alejandría was launched on March 30, Baleària said in a statement, adding that the vessel would begin serving the Balearic Islands early 2019. Baleària ordered the two sister vessels back in January 2017 with a price tag of 200 million euros ($246.6). Baleària says that these two ships will be the first LNG-powered ferries to operate in the Mediterranean. The vessel has a length of 186.5 meters and it will be able to reach a maximum speed of 24 knots and will have a capacity for 810 people, 2,100 linear meters of cargo and 150 vehicles.

The first of four new catamaran ferries being constructed by Gondan for owner Baleària has been launched by the shipyard's GRP Division. The four ferries, which are due to be delivered between the end of this year and the middle of 2018, are designed to operate on short distance trips in the Balearic Islands. According to the builder, the 28-meter-long GRP ecofast ferries have capacity for 350 passengers and are designed focusing on eco-efficiency, comfort and speed during navigation.

Acciona has reached an agreement to sell its 92.7% stake in Trasmediterranea to the Naviera Armas Group. Acciona's stake is being sold for 260.4 million euros, and the buyer will assume 127.3 million euros of debt owed by Trasmediterranea to Acciona group companies. The final price could increase by up to 16 million euros as a function of the combined group's future EBITDA performance. This transaction sets the company's enterprise value (100%) at  between 419 and 436 million euros. The deal will foreseeably be completed in the first quarter of 2018, once it has been approved by the Spanish competition authorities. The disposal responds to Acciona's goal of concentrating on its core strategic lines of business: sustainable infrastructure and renewable energy.

Wärtsilä said it has signed a contract with Construcciones Navales del Norte SL (LaNaval) shipyard in Sestao, Spain for the design and supply of the LNG power and propulsion installation for a new RoRo passenger ferry being built for Spanish owner Baleària, an operator serving the Balearic Islands. There is also an option for a second vessel. The contract, signed in August 2016, will also see Wärtsilä provide inclusive project support services to the yard, including integration engineering and on-site consulting, as well as commissioning of the combined systems.

Last night, Nele Maersk container ship, bound for Genoa with 21 crew on board, informed Spanish Maritime Safety Agency (Salvamento Maritimo) that there had been an accidental spillage of fuel during a routine operation of fuel transfer between tanks. The spill area is 140 km from the Catalan coast and 100 km from the Balearic Islands. Salvamento Maritimo mobilized various means to perform aerial survey and minimize the effects of the spill. Activated means are Helimer 206 helicopter, the vessel Punta Mayor, Aldebaran Salvamar Sasemar boat and plane 101. The maritime authorities have reported the incident to the port of Genoa and the State of the flag (Denmark), in order to the measures provided for in Community legislation for these incidents are in place.

Spain's development ministry has said that a fire broke out on a ferry as it journeyed from Palma on the island of Majorca to Valencia in Spain. Spanish media reported that around 156 people had to abandon ship around 17 miles from Palma de Mallorca and were helped by emergency services. The Spanish Ministry of Works said the captain did not initially want to evacuate the ferry but passengers and crew eventually left the burning boat in lifeboats. The Sorrento was travelling to the coastal city of Valencia when the blaze began and quickly got out of control. "The ferry operated by Trasmediterranea was travelling from Palma de Mallorca…

Power and automation technology group ABB informs it has won an order from Spanish ferry operator Baleària to supply energy management systems for one of its largest vessels. It is expected that the system will improve vessel’s fuel efficiency over 2 per cent. ABB’s advisory software will be installed onboard the ferry Martin i Soler, with an option to extend the project to two further vessels in the Baleària fleet. ABB explain that Baleària operates ferries connecting the four Balearic Islands to mainland Spain, as well as providing daily inter-island sailings.

Power and automation technology group ABB has won an order from Spanish ferry operator Baleària to supply energy management systems for one of its largest vessels. ABB’s advisory software will be installed onboard the ferry Martin i Soler, with an option to extend the project to two further vessels in the Baleària fleet. The package supplied is part of ABB’s energy management solution package EMMA Advisory Suite of software. The EMMA Advisory Suite is a decision-support tool to minimize the overall energy costs for individual vessels and entire fleets.

Adelte, a designer and manufacturer of sophisticated Seaport Passenger Boarding Bridges (SPBBs) for cruise and ferry terminals has recently won eight contracts for the supply in 2014 of a total of eleven tailor-made SPBBs to the ports of Rotterdam, Stornoway, Swinoujscie and Ullapool in Northern Europe, Denia and Savona in Southern Europe and Busan and Singapore in Asia. Adelte has been awarded a contract by the Rotterdam Port Authority to install this summer a new KRONUS SPBB, which will replace the current system.

Motor boaters, sailors, and cruisers who want to ride the cutting‐edge crest of navigation with mobile devices can now take advantage of NV charts App, a new, simple‐to‐use free app now available from NV charts, a global leader in highly accurate, detailed maritime chart products. The new NV charts App is free and makes it a simple matter to download NV charts’ superior chart regions to iPads, iPhones and all iOS platforms as well as Android operating devices. For years, NV charts has offered paper charts, as well as digital versions for download onto a laptop or notebook PC for navigation.

Rolls-Royce Plc signed a memorandum of understanding with Spanish shipping company Baleària to design gas-powered propulsion systems for three of the company’s high-speed ferries, which currently run on diesel. Baleària, which operates ferry services between the Spanish mainland and the Balearic Islands in the Strait of Gibraltar and The Bahamas Islands, is proposing the conversion of three ferries from diesel to liquefied natural gas (LNG). Adolfo Utor, the Baleària Chief Executive Officer said, “This is a strategic agreement for the future of the company.

The Balearic Islands of Mallorca, Ibiza, Minorca and Formentera, along with mainland cities such as Barcelona, Valencia and Marbella, can now be added to Europe's established 'charter' destinations, announce IYR. With the longest summer season in Europe, and reliable sunshine from April through until late Autumn, these  destinations can now add as much as 75 days to the European cruising season - this now brings a season that incorporates Easter through until the "Club closing parties of Ibiza" and the late Autumn sunshine on the southern Iberian peninsula. The Balearics and Spain now join the top cruising destinations of the Cote d'Azur, Costa Smeralda and Amalfi Coast on the charterers' calendar.

A ceremony held on board MSC Fantasia on April 2 at the port of Palma de Mallorca (Spain) officially recognized the bravery of four crew members who rushed to the aid of an overboard passenger. The ceremony, involving the port authorities, the island’s council and MSC Cruises’ CEO, took place on the MSC Fantasia. On March 5, while the new ship was moored at the port and passengers were disembarking, three mooring bitts become detached simultaneously in strong winds, resulting in the ship moving away from the dock and causing a disembarking guest to fall into the water. The four crew members immediately jumped in to help the man, who was rapidly brought to shore and taken to a local hospital.

The Spanish Ministry of Public Works and the Economy has invited tenders for participation in three cabotage trades, involving Ceuta/Melilla, the Canary Islands, and the Balearic Islands. Interested bidders have to guarantee to transport passengers, vehicles and goods on the routes over a five-year period. The ministry has calculated individual budgets for the three routes, ranging from 8.5m euros to 37m euros. Aspirants, who will have to provide a bank guarantee to cover failure, have until November 30 to apply. The successful bids will be announced on December 10. Source: Maritime Advocate Online

Testament to the Spanish state-owned group's determination to raise performance throughout the organization, IZAR is on track to deliver a high-grade RoRo passenger ferry only 20 months after contract signing. The launch of the 6,300-dwt Murillo a month ahead of schedule has also underscored the latent scope of the shipyard at Seville, where a substantial upgrading and modernization program has been set in motion. Earlier concerns over work continuity at the premises, Spain's furthest inland shipbuilding facility, have been allayed by the decision to entrust Astillero Sevilla with the production of 70 double-bottom blocks for LNG carriers to be constructed by other yards within the group.