TT-Line and Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft sign Letter of Intent for new Spirits

By | 2018 Newsletter Week 01 & 02 | No Comments

TT-Line Company Pty Ltd and German shipbuilder Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft GmbH & Co. KG have signed a letter of intent for the construction of two new ships to replace the current Spirit of Tasmania vessels.
TT-Line chairman Mike Grainger said the companies would now commence contract negotiations and agree to final design specifications.
“FSG was endorsed by the Board after the company short listed a number of international shipyards to build the new tailor-made vessels,” he said. “As previously announced, we expect to place an order for the new vessels in the first half of the 2018 calendar year and for them to be delivered in time to commence operations on Bass Strait in 2021.”
Some particulars:
Length: 212m
Passengers + Crew: 2000
Freight lane meters: 2519
Car lane meters: 1714
Cabins: 284
Recliners: 195

Photo: FSG

Strong figures for Irish Continental Group in a growing Irish economy

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In its half-year company summary dated 5 January 2018, Irish Continental Group presents an overall growth.

The Group revenue for the first half of the year grew by 3.7% to €156.1 million
In the Ferries division revenue increased by 2.4% to €93.7 million (€91.5 million) and EBITDA decreased by 4.2% to €22.9 million (€23.9 million).

Car volumes and summer tourism volumes went up, respectively +2.2% and +0.4%.
Ro-ro volumes increased only +0.5%.

The company has two ferries on order.

Port of Dover freight volumes have reached record levels for the fifth consecutive year

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Dover handled 2,601,162 lorries in 2017 – up on the previous record by almost 10,000 units. It brings the total increase over the last five years to 33%.
The latest figures underline the need for a post-Brexit trade deal that ensures continued traffic fluidity at this crucial gateway which handles up to 17% of the UK’s entire trade. As Europe’s busiest ferry port, there remains no substitutable capacity elsewhere in the UK to handle Dover’s trade volumes, says Port of Dover.
James Hookham, the Freight Transport Association’s Deputy Chief Executive, said: “The ease with which vehicles and their loads can pass through Dover and the French ports will be a big test of the post-Brexit arrangement. With ro-ro traffic growing at the current rates, getting clarification on how any future Customs procedures at Dover and elsewhere will work is the top priority for European logistics and supply chain managers in 2018.”
Jean-Marc Puissesseau, President-General Manager of Port Boulogne Calais, added his support for fluid trade post-Brexit. He said: “Like the Port of Dover, the Port of Calais is expecting to confirm record freight traffic this year, with 2 million heavy goods vehicles passing through in 2017.

Photo: Port of Dover

New forest products Shed 12 opens in Kiel’s Ostuferhafen

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Another warehouse for Russian forestry products was inaugurated in Kiel’s Ostuferhafen on Tuesday January 9.
Hamburg-based trading company Jacob Jürgensen Wood GmbH has signed a long-term rental contract with the port.
The location of the new warehouse – directly next to the berth for Russia ferries in the Ostuferhafen – is also ideal when weather-sensitive forestry products need to be brought under cover quickly and stored in dry conditions. The timber business at Jacob Jürgensen has shown very strong growth in the last few years and a large part of that growth has been generated by Russian timber products.

Photo: Port of Kiel

A second new ferry for Irish Ferries

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FSG has agreed to build a cruise ferry for ICG at a contract price of €165.2 million. It’s going to be the largest-ever built ferry in Flensburg.
Some details:

  • Gross tonnage 67,300.
  • Passengers: 1,800 and 152 cabins.
  • Lane metres: 5,610 = 330 freight units per sailing.
  • Uniquely, the vessel has been designed for three tier freight bow loading to allow for efficient loading/unloading and quick turnaround times.
  • Compared to the ULYSSES, a 50% increase in peak freight capacity.
  • Delivery 2020.
  • Conventional fuel with scrubber technology.
  • Ice class (!)
  • Route Dublin – Holyhead.

She is expected to replace the schedule of the ULYSSES, which in turn will replace the currently chartered vessel EPSILON in the fleet. This will allow for the deployment of the W.B. YEATS (arriving Mid 2018, also under construction in Flensburg and to be launched January 19) full-time on the direct Ireland -France route alongside the OSCAR WILDE.

Photo: Multi-Maritime.no

New plug-in hybrid coastal ferry for Boreal

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Vard has secured a ferry order from Boreal. The new car- and passenger ferry features a fully electrical battery solution for continuous electric operations, and is specially designed for environmentally friendly operations in the Norwegian fjords.
The 74m ferry, designed by Multi Maritime, will have a total capacity of up to 60 cars and 199 persons.
The hull of the vessel will be built by Vard Braila in Romania. Delivery of the ferry is scheduled from Vard Brevik in Norway in Q3, 2019.
The ferry will commence operations in Norway from January 2020, crossing Kvanndal-Utne at the west coast of Norway, where Boreal has been awarded a nine-year contract with the Norwegian government.

Photo: Multi-Maritime.no

P&O Ferries’ Larne-Cairnryan freight traffic hit six-year high

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P&O Ferries, which operates the shortest and most frequent crossings between Northern Ireland and mainland Britain, carried 210,533 lorries and trailers on its ships during the last year. The figure represents a 1.3% increase on 2016 and is the best result since 2011.
P&O Ferries operates seven sailings a day between Larne and Cairnryan in Scotland. The service – which is operated by ro-paxes EUROPEAN HIGHLANDER and – CAUSEWAY provides a bridge for goods being transported between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland and Britain, and also on to the continent via P&O Ferries’ connecting services from Dover, Tilbury, Hull and Teesport.
In 2017 P&O Ferries saw strong volumes of agricultural and dairy produce, building materials, consumer goods, machinery, peat and household coal being transported on its two Irish Sea crossings, Larne-Cairnryan and Liverpool-Dublin.

The vessel will be designed in Australia and construction of the vessel will commence at Austal Philippines during 2018, with delivery scheduled for July 2019.

Photo: P&O Ferries

Fifth ferry for French Polynesia is cherry on Austal cake

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SNC Aremiti has awarded a AU$30 million contract to Austal to design and build a new 49m high-speed passenger catamaran ferry.
This order caps off a successful year for Austal’s ferry business, which added eight new vessels to the order book in 2017. That includes two 117m trimarans and a 109m catamaran. Austal also recently signed an MOU with JR Kyushu of Japan for an 80m trimaran.
This SNC Aremiti design features seating capacity for 620 passengers and garage space for up to 30 motorbikes, small vehicles and cargo.
The vessel will be designed in Australia and construction of the vessel will commence at Austal Philippines during 2018, with delivery scheduled for July 2019.

The vessel will be designed in Australia and construction of the vessel will commence at Austal Philippines during 2018, with delivery scheduled for July 2019.