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A ferry review, including gas so expensive that some shipowners temporarily abandon it
Author:Mariusz Dasiewicz
In a weekly review in a telegraphic summary, the PromySKAT portal informs about the most important events of the past days; about the issues that the ferry industry will live or soon live. This week, among others, about Balearia's activities, which temporarily reduced the use of LNG in some of its ferries.
Fred. Olsen Express with new ferry
Fred. Olsen Express made official reception of the modern Banaderos Express ferry. Ordered four years ago, the trimaran was built at Austal plant in Cebu. It can accommodate 1100 passengers and 276 passenger vehicles. A unit supplied to a shipowner specialising in the operation of connections to the Canary Islands may move at 37 knots (68 km/h). It's another one so modern. ferry in the carrier fleet based in Tenerife. During last year's holiday, the operator picked up a twin unit for the Banaderos Express Bajamar Express. The total value of investments in the two mentioned ships is around 126 million EUR.
New ferry For Finnlines. Construction works started
From the solemn cutting of the sheets began work on the construction of a new unit for Finnlines. The construction of the W0277 shipyard is built in the Chinese shipyard CMI Jinling Weihai. Upon completion of the work, it will receive the name Finncanopus and will land on the Naantali-Langnas-Kapellskar route. Ferry will be 230 metres long and will have a cargo line of 5100 metres long. He can take 1100 passengers aboard. It will meet the requirements of the highest Finnish-Swedish ice class. It will also be equipped with the most modern technologies available on the market. It is already the second ro-pax of the Superstar series formed for the Finnish shipowner.
CalMac takes over ferry Norwegian operator
An interesting transaction occurred on the market of second-hand vessels. The Scottish government company CMAL, whose ferries operate under the Caledonian MacBrayne brand (CalMac), for a sum of £9 million (about PLN 50 million) bought ferry Utne from Norwegian carrier Norled. Additional £3.4 million (about PLN 18 million) will absorb the modernization of the unit. The two-way ship was built only in 2015 and can accommodate 195 people and 40 passenger vehicles, as well as four trucks. The purchase of the new ferry was an urgent matter for the Scottish operator to ensure the smoothness of crossings between the Hebrid archipelago islands. Utne will be next to the Loch Seaforth ferry the youngest ship in the CMAL fleet. The Scottish government plans to invest in development in the following years ferryThis and port infrastructure amount to approx. £580 million.
Prins Richard after modernization in Gdańsk
An important link of ferry crossings organized by Scandlines returned to the route. The Prins ship Richard underwent renovation work at the Gdańsk shipyard "Remontowa" as part of the propulsor modernization program. This is the third of four hybrid vessels for Scandlines, designated to undergo such an exchange. Prins Richard serves the Rodby-Puttgarden connection on a daily basis. The unit is 142 m long and can accommodate 1,140 people and 364 passenger vehicles. It has a load belt of 580 m in length.
Gas too expensive for ferryThe LNG?
The increasingly tense situation on the energy market also affects the activities of shipowners. Balearia, which puts great emphasis on the modernisation of its fleet and successively announces investments in new LNG ferries or conversion of older units, reacted to rising fuel prices on the market and decided to limit the use of this green raw material. In dual-fuel ferries it was decided temporarily to use LNG only in the vicinity of ports, e.g. during mooring maneuvers. However, representatives of the Spanish company stressed that the current situation on the gas market will not lead to changes in the existing strategy of the carrier, which still boldly intends to invest, among others, in the conversion of the existing fleet.
Truck stickers will warn you of a dead field
Spain can become another country in Europe where drivers will have to sign their vehicles with special stickers, warning other traffic participants of a dead field. For now, this is a recommendation that has been addressed to drivers and owners of heavy goods vehicles, buses and commercial vehicles. The overarching objective of such a solution is, as the originator explains, to improve road safety. Labels must be reflective and identify different types of potential hazards that are associated with being within the reach of a dead field. A similar solution was introduced earlier in France. Except that the placement of the appropriate sticker over the Seine is mandatory.
Source: PromySKAT
