RoRo vessel Eurocargo Sicilia to Baleària

By | 2024 Newsletter week 08 | No Comments

RoRo vessel Eurocargo Sicilia is reportedly transitioning from Grimaldi to Baleària’s fleet, following RoPax Ciudad de Mahon. While no official confirmation has been received from the Naples-based group, sources and accompanying imagery suggest that the vessel, built in 1998, is undergoing a bareboat charter with a purchase obligation to the firm controlled by Adolfo Utor.

Eurocargo Sicilia, formerly known as Finnmaster during its deployment with Finnlines, boasts a cargo capacity of 1,775 lane meters and has been actively serving the Porto Torres – Genoa maritime route over the past 12 months.

Details regarding the sale and charter prices remain undisclosed.

Grimaldi charters CIUDAD DE MAHON to Baleària

By | 2024 Newsletter week 05 | No Comments

The 2008-built RoPax ferry CIUDAD DE MAHON, owned by Trasmed Grimaldi, will move to Spanish competitor Baleària on a bareboat charter that is understood to last 5 years.

The ship’s capacity is for 1,000 passengers and 1,500 lane metres of RoRo cargo and cars.

In the recent past CIUDAD DE MAHON has been deployed on the routes linking the Spanish mainland (Valencia and Barcelona) with the Balearic Islands, in particular Ibiza.

At present it is unknown how Baleària plan to use the vessel.

Photo: Grimaldi Trasmed

Fred. Olsen Express and Baleària add second ship to the Canary Islands route

By | 2024 Newsletter week 02 | No Comments

As of 13 January 2024, RoPax SICILIA will be added and will serve alongside RoPax MARIE CURIE.

The connection goes from two to three weekly trips from each port, both for cargo and passenger transport.

The service will have departures from Tenerife and Gran Canaria on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. Meanwhile, from Huelva these routes will be made on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

Baleària buys the hybrid ferry RUSADIR

By | 2024 Newsletter week 01 | No Comments

Baleària has purchased the cruise ferry RUSADIR after completing more than half a year of charter on the Malaga – Melilla route.

The ferry was originally built as HONFLEUR for Brittany Ferries.

The power comes from LNG or MDO and drives an electric propulsion system.

Baleària considers LNG a transition towards decarbonization. The company says it prepared to operate with renewable sources that are neutral in CO2 emissions.

Baleària plans to stop emitting almost 80,000 tonnes of CO2 by the end of the year thanks to the use of LNG

By | 2023 Newsletter week 27 | No Comments

In recent weeks, Baleària has increased the consumption of natural gas on its 10 dual-fuel engined ships to 100%.

The shipping company estimates that this will allow it to stop emitting around 80,000 tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere between June 1st and the end of the year.

In October 2021, in order to avoid becoming less competitive, the shipping company continued to use this cleaner energy only on port entries, approaches and stays.

It should be noted that, despite the temporary reduction in the use of gas due to the adverse circumstances, Baleària maintained its commitment to this fuel, which enables CO2 emissions to be reduced by up to 30%.

As a result, Baleària has added two more gas-powered vessels to its fleet, having completed the retrofit of the HEDY LAMARR in 2022, and chartering the RUSADIR, a RoPax equipped with an electric propulsion system powered by dual natural gas engines, this spring.

Baleària considers LNG to be the cleanest and most mature currently available for maritime transport. Furthermore, their ships are technologically prepared to consume either 100% biomethane or synthetic methane, as well as green hydrogen mixtures of up to 25%, although these CO2-neutral renewable energies are unfeasible at the moment due to their cost and availability.

Baleària and AmendTec collaborate to improve fleet visibility

By | 2023 Newsletter week 16 | No Comments

Baleària and AmendTec’s innovative collaboration is revolutionizing the maritime industry by providing real-time position and AIS data visualization for their own fleet and nearby ships. With this cutting-edge technology, Baleària has gained a strong position in safety management and decision-making from the coast.

Baleària has taken safety and decision-making to new heights with their innovative ‘control tower’. This tower visualizes real-time data collected from the AmendTrack’s and other sensors of their vessels, including vessel positions, fuel consumption, emissions, and calculated ETA’s. With this data analysed and readily available, Baleària can make informed decisions and manage safety more effectively than ever before.

25th Anniversary Year marks record for Baleària

By | 2023 Newsletter week 9 | No Comments

In 2022, Baleària transported 4.7 million passengers, 1.2 million vehicles and over 7 million lane metres of cargo.

The company recorded a turnover 42% higher than in 2021, at EUR 563 million, and EBITDA was up 36% at EUR 140 million.

Baleària celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2023 and these are the best ever figures in the company’s history.

The President of Baleària, Adolfo Utor, commented;

“Baleària has obtained historic revenues of EUR 563 million thanks to great marketing efficiency and effort and to the hard work and commitment of all teams”. He also described as “historic” the Result of EUR 67 million, 34% more than the previous year.

In 2022 Baleària invested EUR 61 million in fleet development.  This was mainly in new eco-efficient vessels under construction.

Photo: Baleària

Honfleur to Baleària

By | 2023 Newsletter week 9 | No Comments

It has been widely reported that Baleària has agreed to charter the so far unused ro-pax HONFLEUR.  This was the ferry built by Flensburger Shipyard, refused by Brittany Ferries due to excessive delays, and then completed by Fosen Yard.

The vessel has been idle at Gdynia for almost a year, since work on her was completed.  It is reported that the ship will be in Spain by the end of March and is to be chartered for six months with an option to buy afterwards.

With an LNG compatibility, it seems a natural match for Baleària, one of the leading LNG ferry operators.

The ship has started displaying the name RUSADIR on AIS.  Rusadir was an ancient Punic and Roman town at what is now Melilla, Spain, suggesting that the ship is likely to be used on Baleària’s services to North Africa.