Baltics News

Ellerman City Liners has launched a new short-sea shipping service connecting the Baltics with the UK and the Benelux region, establishing a new route for the company in the region.The BALTEX service will operate on a fixed weekly rotation, calling at Riga, Latvia; Gdynia, Poland; Teesport and Tilbury in the UK; Rotterdam, the Netherlands; and Oslo, Norway. The weekly service offers a capacity of 1,160 TEU per leg and provides fast transshipment connections to Spain and Portugal via the Port of Tilbury, one of the UK’s major short-sea and deep-sea hubs.

Heidelberg Materials Northern Europe has taken a decisive step toward low-emission coastal logistics with the development of a next-generation methanol-powered cement carrier, an 80% emissions-cutting vessel that could redefine short-sea bulk operations in Scandinavia. Planned to enter service in early 2028, the newbuild is the product of a multi-stakeholder public-private partnership involving the Hartmann Group, the Green Shipping Programme (GSP) and the Norwegian NOx Fund,…

Euroports Group and Noatun project companies, jointly held by OX2 and Ålandsbanken Offshore Wind I, have signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) to establish Koverhar Harbour in Hanko as a key logistics hub for the construction of the offshore wind farm project Noatun North, including an option for Noatun South.The collaboration marks a significant step in strengthening Finland’s offshore wind infrastructure and securing essential port capacity to support the industry’s expansion.The Noatun North Project is expected to comprise of up to 250 turbines with a total capacity of up to 4…

An underwater Russian Baltic Sea telecoms cable was damaged by an "external impact," Russia's TASS news agency cited the country's state-owned Rostelecom company as saying on Saturday."Rostelecom's submarine cable was damaged in the Baltic Sea as a result of an external impact some time ago," TASS cited Rostelecom as saying.Restoration work is under way and the incident has had no impact on subscribers so far, Rostelecom added.Rostelecom did not provide further details and it was unclear when the damage occurred.

The Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania completed a switch from Russia's electricity grid to the EU's system on Sunday, severing Soviet-era ties amid heightened security after the suspected sabotage of several subsea cables and pipelines.European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen hailed the move, years in the planning, as marking a new era of freedom for the region, in a speech at a ceremony in Vilnius alongside the leaders of the three countries and the Polish president."These chains of power lines linking you to hostile neighbours will be a thing of the past…

Captains of ships that damage underwater infrastructure in the Baltic Sea such as telecoms cables or pipelines should be put under EU sanctions to deter such acts, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said on Thursday.Sikorski said Poland, which holds the European Union's rotating presidency, wanted the proposal to be part of the next, 16th package of sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, which is now under discussion among EU governments.The Baltic Sea region is on high alert after a string of power cable…

DFDS and the government of Jersey have signed a contract under which DFDS will provide freight and passenger services connecting Jersey of the Channel Islands to the UK and France for 20 years.Beginning 28 March 2025, the new service will include routes from Jersey to Poole and Portsmouth in the U.K., and Saint-Malo in France.DFDS committed to increase the frequency of ferries to address high demand in peak periods, introducing high-speed ferries to the UK and investing in three new vessels by 2032."We are excited to embark on this journey with Jersey and the local community.

DFDS was selected as the preferred bidder to take on the 15-year contract to provide ferry life-line freight service and passenger services to Jersey of the Channel Islands from March 28, 2025. “We are thrilled to have been selected as preferred bidder tender for the ferry service to Jersey. This opportunity allows us to bring our commitment to safety, reliability, and exceptional customer service to both residents and visitors of Jersey. We understand that a reliable ferry service is vital for Jersey, for the economy, and for providing essential supplies and access to medical services, and we look forward to serving the local communities on Jersey for many years to come,” says Filip Hermann, VP BU Channel & Baltics.

North Star, specialist vessel operator for offshore infrastructure support services, has been announced as the first mover on the Midi-SOV – a new offshore wind ship design developed by Chartwell Marine and Vard that bridges the gap between crew transfer vessel (CTV) and service operation vessel (SOV).North Star has entered an agreement with Chartwell and Vard becoming the first to adopt and utilize the Midi-SOV on offshore wind projects, investing in upfront design fees to facilitate…

Global Energy Storage (GES) and Provaris Energy have entered a collaboration agreement to develop a gaseous hydrogen import facility at the GES terminal in Rotterdam.Under the collaboration, GES and Provaris will complete a comprehensive prefeasibility study to demonstrate the technical and economic viability of berthing and unloading of Provaris’ H2Neo compressed hydrogen carriers.Activities will also include the joint marketing of the proposed facility where Provaris will be…

BIMCO’s Documentary Committee has approved a revised version of the Continent Grain Charter Party, SYNACOMEX, to reflect changes in the geopolitical landscape following events including the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine. The revised charter party now includes BIMCO’s anti-corruption clause and updated versions of the war risks and sanctions clauses.The charter party is developed by joint copyright holders SYNACOMEX and Armateurs de France, the French Union for Grains and Seeds Trade and the French Shipowners’ Association.

WTIVs have always been fuel-hungry. Now they are being tasked with installations that are further, deeper and heavier.Offshore wind farms continue their march into deeper water, further from shore, with turbines that can now reach more than 270 meters high with blades 120 meters long. Designers and OEMs are pushing efficiency to new levels to contain OPEX on the new-generation jack-up WTIVs taking them up there.Danish ship design firm Knud E. Hansen has chosen specialization for its Atlas A-class WTIV, a smaller derivation of its massive C-class design.

The drivers for global offshore wind growth look good for 2023. Global offshore wind is forecast to grow from over 60 GW at the end of 2022 to 240 GW by 2030 and over 410 GW by 2035. But the sunny outlook must be balanced with some building dark clouds. As we prepare for the new year, let us look at ten factors that will shape the offshore wind sector in 2023.1. Solid foundations: Optimism for the supply chain is founded on declared and inferred offshore wind deployment targets by a growing number of countries of over 400 GW, driven by energy transition and energy security policies.2.

Poland and the three Baltic countries, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, present a significant opportunity to expand offshore wind generation beyond the Baltic waters of Denmark, Germany and Sweden. Driven by the need to decarbonize energy supply and increase energy security, Poland and the Baltics can be seen as both a single opportunity for the supply chain to support the deployment of at least 28 GW of offshore wind by 2035 and also as individual country opportunities. Intelatus…

For many, the ocean is life. It provides transportation, work, commerce, food, recreation—tales as old as time and shared by people across the globe. These stories are lived day to day, passed down between generations, and shared with the public through various media. Maritime museums assume responsibility to share these histories while honoring the communities shaped ocean exploration and commerce. In a decade where ocean health and climatic events have become a primary focus…

The European Union's foreign ministers disagreed on Monday on whether and how to slap sanctions on Russia's lucrative energy sector over its invasion of Ukraine, with Germany saying the bloc was too dependent on Russian oil to decide an embargo.The EU and allies have already imposed hefty measures against Russia, including freezing its central bank's assets.Russia's siege and bombardment of Mariupol port, which EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell called "a massive war crime"…

As of end-June 2021, more than 100 turbine and foundation installation and maintenance vessels will be required for offshore wind projects planned over this decade.More than 100 turbine and foundation installation and maintenance vessels will be required for offshore wind projects planned over this decade. Almost all of the current fleet of international wind turbine installation vessels will be technically redundant as installation vessels by 2025 as a consequence of the rapidly growing wind turbine sizes, greater water depths and increase in foundation size.

Swedish ferry company Stena Line's new ferry Stena Scandica arrived in the port of Nynäshamn in Sweden this morning when it completed its overnight maiden voyage from Ventspils, Latvia.Stena Scandica is the first of two new large and modern ferries on the route between Ventspils and Nynäshamn in Sweden this year. The vessel adds another 70%  more cabins and 30% more freight capacity compared to the existing vessels and offers an attractive alternative way to travel on the Baltic Sea…

Dutch shipbuilder Royal Bodewes on Friday launched and christened the latest newbuild in a series for U.K.-based shipping company Scotline.The 90-meter, 4,800 DWAT Scot Isles is Scotline's fourth vessel from Royal Bodewes in recent years, and a sister to the box-shaped singledeckers Scot Carrier, Scot Explorer and Scot Ranger, with Ice Class 1A and enclosed bridge.The British-flagged vessels are classed by Lloyd's Register and are ice class 1FB FS (Finnish and Swedish), mainly used for transporting timber from the Baltics.

The 186-meter Visentini RoPax vessel Stena Livia will initially join sister vessel Stena Flavia on the Nynäshamn-Ventspils route from mid-April, Stena Line announced. Later this year the pair will replace the existing tonnage on the ferry route between Travemünde and Liepaja, adding 40% freight capacity and shorten the crossing time substantially.During 2021 Stena Line is expanding its Baltic Sea operations with modern and large RoPax vessels being added to the two ferry routes from Latvia to Sweden and Germany.

Dutch shipbuilder Royal Bodewes announced that U.K.-based shipping company Scotline Marine Holdings Ltd has exercised its option for a fourth newbuild 4,800 DWAT Bodewes Trader, to be named Scot Isles and launched in the third quarter of 2021.A 90-meter sister ship Scot Ranger is currently being built at Royal Bodewes' yard in Hoogezand.Previous vessels in the series include Scot Explorer delivered in December 2019 and Scot Carrier handed over in December 2018.The British-flagged box-shaped singledeckers are classed by Lloyd's Register and are ice class 1FB FS (Finnish and Swedish)…

Stena Line will permanently suspend operations on its ferry route between Trelleborg, Sweden and Sassnitz, Germany due to the coronavirus pandemic, the European operator announced on Wednesday.The cancellation comes after Stena Line announced in March it would temporarily suspend operations on the route.Stena Line has initiated discussions with the workers' council Betriebsrat in Germany. The ferry FS Sassnitz is laid up in Port of Mukran, Sassnitz, until further notice. In recent years…

Swedish ferry company Stena Line said Monday it will furlough 600 employees and make 150 redundant in UK and Ireland due to the COVID-19 pandemic's damaging effect on travel and transport across Europe.The announcement comes several weeks after the company laid off hundreds in Scandinavia and the Baltics as the coronavirus crisis weighs heavily on travel bookings and freight volumes. Already the company has reduced its number of sailings on several routes, and several vessels…