Route Network News

European RoRo ferry operator CLdN announced on Tuesday that it has entered into an agreement to acquire all shares in Seatruck Ferries Holding Ltd. from Clipper Group. The transaction price was not disclosed.The deal is subject to regulatory approval from the Irish competition authorities, expected before year-end, CLdN said.With eight vessels, Irish Sea operator Seatruck Ferries transports close to 20% of the region’s seaborne cargo volumes. After closing, the Seatruck operation…

Stena Line says that it has decreased the carbon emissions by 11% per ton of cargo carried over each nautical mile, plus a reduction of 4% total ship emissions compared to pre-Covid operations. According to the company, the main contributor is the higher utilization of its fleet with cargo during the latest years. Also, during port operations and lay times, Stena Line says that it now uses 100% renewable electricity. The energy is used for shore power at 20% of Stena Line´s terminals while berthing…

Findings from a survey suggesting that ferries are poised to lead post-pandemic travel demand will underline an upbeat agenda when global trade association Interferry stages its 45th annual conference in October.Taking place in Santander, Spain, the latest edition of the ferry community’s longest-established conference is themed The Future is Ferries – marking it as a showcase for positive solutions and prospects in response to COVID-19, climate change and other major challenges.The survey results will feature in a presentation by London-based transport and logistics specialist L.E.K.

ChartWorld announced the latest round of updates to its digital routing service, My Route Appraisal (MyRA). MyRA provides both vessels and onshore personnel with a proposed ECDIS-ready voyage plan. The plan is based on a route network, port databases, bathymetry from ENCs, weather forecasts and the relevant ship model.The MyRA version 1.4 release rolled out in October 2020 includes the following improvements:•    Further simplification of the install process•    Advanced routing algorithm…

The coronavirus pandemic has taken its toll on Swdish ferry company Stena Line, who announced Monday that it will cut 950 jobs due to a sharp decline in passenger travel bookings as a result of the outbreak.Stena Line said the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and subsequent travel restrictions imposed by several countries have weighed heavily on bookings, with passenger traffic to Sweden, Denmark, Poland, Germany and Latvia mostly halted. On Saturday, the company completely stopped…

Danish international shipping and logistics company DFDS has entered into two mutual space charter agreements with the Luxembourg-based short sea specialist Compagnie Luxembourgeoise d'Navigation (CLdN) CLdN that also operates a freight ferry route between Gothenburg and Zeebrugge.In June 2019, DFDS opened a freight ferry route between Gothenburg, Sweden, and Zeebrugge, Belgium, that currently deploys three freight ferries offering five weekly departures in each direction.However, in order to optimize capacity utilization and reduce the environmental impact, DFDS has entered into two mutual space charter agreements with CLdN that also…

Aspin Kemp and Associates Inc. (AKA) and MAN Energy Solutions (MAN) are working together on the delivery of the propulsion package for 1+1 230-meter-long RoPax vessel for TT-Line, a German ferry operator. The vessel is to be built at Jiangsu Jingling shipyard in China. The MAN/AKA power and propulsion package includes eight MAN 51/60DF dual fuel engines, propellers and gearboxes, a fuel-gas supply system and HyProp ECO – a hybrid propulsion system. The newbuild TT-Line ferry will have the capacity for 800 passengers and over 200 articulated trucks.

The Jinling Shipyard in China has ordered 4 × MAN 51/60DF engines in connection with the building of 1 + 1 × 230-meter-long RoPax vessels for TT-Line, the German ferry operator. The vessel will feature a complete MAN propulsion package, besides the engines, including propellers, a fuel-gas-supply system (FGSS), and HyProp ECO – MAN’s innovative, fuel-saving, hybrid propulsion system.The newbuilding is based on TT-Line’s ‘Green Ship’ design, developed in collaboration with Copenhagen-based designer…

After buying several container factories from its smaller competitor Singapore-based shipping company Pacific International Lines (PIL), China’s Cosco Shipping Holdings Co. is eyeing it as a potential takeover target.The Chinese state-run ocean carrier  had bought part of debt-ridden PIL’s container-manufacturing business, and executives at the Chinese carrier believe they could wrap up a deal for the entire business if family-owned PIL’s owners decide to sell, reported WSJ.Cosco Shipping is looking  to expand its footprint in developing markets and a take over would be an edge towards deeper logistics services beyond conventional ocean shipping…

NAPA, a leading maritime software, services and data analysis provider and ChartWorld, a leading digital chart agent, has announced their partnership to provide revolutionary artificial intelligence-driven voyage planning and optimization.Oliver Schwarz, ChartWorld’s Business Development Director, commented, “In today’s era of constant regulatory change and cost volatility, vessel efficiency and safety are more important than ever. Through the integration of ChartWorld’s industry-leading voyage planning with NAPA Fleet Intelligence…

ChartWorld has launched its My Route Appraisal (MyRA) digital routing service. The MyRA concept is built around the digitization and automation of voyage planning procedures, freeing up the bridge team to concentrate on route approval, execution and monitoring.MyRA provides vessels and onshore personnel with an automatically proposed ECDIS-ready voyage plan; this is based on a route network, port databases, bathymetry from ENCs, weather forecasts, and the relevant ship model.

Copenhagen-based DFDS named its newest -- and the Mediterranean's largest -- Ro-Ro ship in Turkey.The naming ceremony for 237-meter-long  roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) newbuilding, Ephesus Seaways, was held in Istanbul, Turkey. Ephesus Seaways vessel with a 6,700 linear-meter capacity has also been put into service.The ship will also be the largest vessel to serve DFDS customers on the routes between Turkey and the EU.Eva Lundstedt, who is the wife of Volvo’s CEO Martin Lundstedt, gave the ship her name and made a short speech about the importance of this ferry for people in the region and DFDS.It will be the largest freight ferry ever to service DFDS’ customers on routes between Turkey and the EU.

As a part of the ongoing development of Stena Line’s Irish Sea route network, the Stena Forecaster has been transferred from Stena RoRo to Stena Line and will enter service on the Belfast – Liverpool route from today - Tuesday, 12 February 2019. Stena Forerunner will transfer back to the North Sea and operation on Rotterdam-Killingholm. Stena Line is one of Europe's leading ferry companies with 38 vessels and 20 routes in Northern Europe.“This is another important step in our expansion programme for our ‘diagonal corridor’ services to and from Belfast. Stena Forecaster will help us continue to deliver a reliable and high-quality service to our freight customers," says Paul Grant, Trade Director Irish Sea North.

Interferry has confirmed locations for the 2021 and 2022 editions of its industry-leading annual conference – held every October - in the latest initiative to extend its reach as the only organization representing the worldwide ferry industry. The global trade association’s 46th annual conference will take place in Santander, Spain, followed in 2022 by a twin-venue event in Marrakesh and Tangier, Morocco, which will mark a first for Interferry on the African continent. Multi-award winner Brittany Ferries will host the Santander conference.

Six ships will be added to A.P. Moller - Maersk's new route network between Asia and Europe, the Danish conglomerate announced new changes to its services connecting Asia and Europe.Changes implemented in the second quarter of 2018 have improved the reliability of company’s schedules. However, port congestions and unfavorable weather conditions have resulted in delays.“We are now progressing on the improvements made earlier in 2018 to further enhance our schedule reliability across our Asia-Europe Network”, Danish shipping giant said in its press release.“To meet our customer’s increasing need for reliable cargo delivery, we have reviewed our service network and identified additional time to recover from the potential delays we continue to face from bad weather and other external factors.

DFDS has exercised an option to order an additional freight ferry (ro-ro) newbuilding from the Chinese Jinling Shipyard.Similar to the five previously ordered large capacity freight ferries, the newbuilding is designed to carry 6,700 lane meters of freight equivalent to around 450 trailers.The new ferries will increase DFDS’ operational efficiency in the route networks in northern Europe and the Mediterranean.The first two new ferries are expected to be received in the beginning of next year…

Ship owner Stena said it has decided to exercise its option to order its seventh and eighth E-Flexer vessels from Avic Weihai Shipyard. The two new vessels will be deployed within Stena Line’s route network with a planned delivery in 2022.Additionally, Stena RoRo has taken an option on the construction of a further four E-Flexer vessels that would also be built at the same Chinese shipyard.Niclas Mårtensson, CEO Stena Line, said, “We foresee increasing demand for freight capacity…

Danish shipping and logistics company DFDS is to sell two of its older vessels to Ukraine-based ferry operator Ukrferry. "DFDS has entered into an agreement with Ukrferry to sell two combined freight and passenger ferries, Kaunas Seaways and Vilnius Seaways built in 1989 and 1987 respectively. Delivery of the ferries is expected in July," said a press statement from the company. The ferries have been on time charter to Ukrferry for several years for deployment on routes in the Black Sea. The ferries were previously deployed in DFDS' Baltic route network. The sale will affect the employment of around 70 crew members that DFDS will seek to employ in our own route network to the greatest possible extent.

The Seoul Central District Court Thursday decided to end the bankruptcy protection of Hanjin Shipping Co. Ltd (Hanjin Shipping), leaving the company to succumb to a declaration of bankruptcy later this month, Yonhap reported. Hanjin, once the world's seventh- or eighth-largest container shipper, filed for court receivership in late August 2016 as its creditors, led by the state-run Korea Development Bank (KDB), said they would not provide additional financial support to Hanjin starting from September 4. “Now that the sale of Hanjin’s major assets is almost over, the time has come to declare its final fate,” WSJ quoted Choi Ung-young, a judge on the Seoul court as saying. Choi said the shipping line has hardly any value as a going concern and that the court will likely rule on Feb.

Three containerships of the bankrupt Korean shipping firm Hanjin Shipping were sold at an auction in Rotterdam for a total of USD 392 million, according to Dutch media fd.nl and Nieuwsblad Transport. The 13,000 TEU ships were auctioned on behalf of creditor HSH Nordbank. The  three vessels in question are Hanjin Europe, Hanjin Africa and Hanjin Harmony, built in 2012 and 2013, respectively. The 4th ship, the Hanjin Gold, is expected to be auctioned off by a Rotterdam court in January 2017. Featuring 141,000 dwt, the boxships, which were reportedly sold on behalf of the German HSH Nordbank, have all been at anchor in the Netherlands for some time now. After it filed for court receivership on August 31, the ailing South Korean carrier started selling its assets.

WE Tech said it has received an order to deliver its permanent magnet shaft generator solutions to a series of four fuel efficient ROPAX ferries, with an option for another four. The vessels are to be built for the Swedish shipping company Stena RoRo at AVIC Weihai Shipyard Co., Ltd. in China. The four initial vessels will be operated by Stena Line within its route network in Northern Europe. “WE have developed the most energy efficient shaft generator solution to reduce the fuel consumption, operational costs and environmental footprint.

South Korea's Hanjin Shipping Co Ltd is selling major businesses, including its Asia-U.S. route network, and will receive letters of intent by October 28, the company said on Thursday. In a regulatory filing the company said a Seoul court overseeing its receivership process approved a public auction of the major businesses, and it is to get binding bids from interested parties by November 7, after a due diligence process. Reporting by Joyce Lee

The South Korean court overseeing Hanjin Shipping’s receivership process plans to put the collapsed shipper’s Asia-U.S. operations up for sale as early as Friday, says a report in Fortune. The company said that it is selling major businesses, including its Asia-U.S. route network, and will receive letters of intent by October 28. In a regulatory filing the company said a Seoul court overseeing its receivership process approved a public auction of the major businesses, and it is to get binding bids from interested parties by November 7, after a due diligence process. The spokesman for the Seoul Central District Court said the deadline for binding bids is expected to be Nov. 7. He declined to comment on potential price or interested parties for the assets.