Ropax News

Sweden-based Echandia reports it has won its largest order to date, with a deal to supply battery systems to a Northern European ferry operator.The contract with an undisclosed customer involves converting two RoPax ferries to pure electric propulsion. It is Echandia's largest both in terms of value and system size. Delivery is planned for the second half of 2025, Echandia said.According to Echandia, its battery systems are designed to meet the customer's requirement for a 10-year lifespan…

Stena’s new Ro-Pax vessel, Ala’suinu, equipped with Wärtsilä propellers has received DNV’s Silent(E) notation, issued to vessels that demonstrate the ability to effectively reduce emissions of underwater radiated noise.Technology group Wärtsilä has designed and delivered controllable pitch propellers for Stena’s new Ro-Pax vessel, Ala’suinu, which has successfully completed sea trials.Following these sea trials, Ala’suinu became the first Ro-Pax vessel to fulfil the DNV Silent(E) notation…

Swedish ferry operator Stena Line on Monday announced changes to its management team amid a shift to a two-region structure in its Irish Sea operations, effective June 1, 2024. Paul Grant will assume responsibility as Trade Director for Irish Sea North, overseeing operations from Belfast. In addition, Grant will join the main board of Stena Line (UK) Ltd. and serve as Stena Line’s representative on the UK Chamber of Shipping Ferry & Cruise.Johan Edelman will take up the role of Trade Director for the Irish Sea South region, overseeing operations from Dublin and Rosslare.

Finnlines has turned to a innovative graphene-based hard foul release hull coating to reduce fuel consumption and emissions across its ro-ro and ro-pax fleets.After starting with its first vessel in 2022, the Finnish shipping company has already applied GIT Coatings' XGIT-FUEL low-friction hull coating to four vessels as part of a recently signed fleet agreement, reducing fuel consumption and emissions by around 7% compared to previously used coating.Over the past decade, Finnlines…

Manta Marine Technologies (formerly known as Yara Marine Technologies) has completed installation and commissioning of onboard shore power systems for three Finnlines vessels: the Finnlady, the Finnmaid and the Finnstar.The installations, onboard RINA-classed Finnlines RoPax vessels Finnstar, Finnmaid and Finnlady support Finnlines’ commitment to decarbonize itsfleet and reduce the environmental impact on shore-side communities.Thomas Doepel, Finnlines Deputy CEO Finnlines, said…

Stena RoRo and Caterpillar Motoren have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to promote the use of methanol as fuel on board MaK-powered E-flexer class ferries.The partners will work together to explore alternative fuel solutions to reduce CO2 emissions from ferry operations. This includes the development and feasibility of converting MaK-powered ferries from diesel to methanol. An initial pilot project involves a Stena ferry equipped with VM 43 C MaK engines.Methanol is among a number of fuels being explored as an option to help the maritime industry reduce its environmental footprint.

Stena RoRo announced it has taken delivery of the 10th vessel in its E-Flexer series from the CMI Jinling, Weihai Shipyard. The vessel, named Ala'suinu, will be on a long charter agreement with the Canadian state-owned Marine Atlantic and operate a ferry line in eastern Canada between Newfoundland and Nova Scotia.“We are very excited to welcome the Ala’suinu to our service,” says Gary O'Brien, Chair, Board of Directors, Marine Atlantic. “With a focus on reducing our environmental impact…

Merja Kallio-Mannila has been appointed as Head of Group Sales, Customer Service and Marketing as of January 1, 2024. Kallio-Mannila also continues as the Head of Sales and Customer Service Finland.Kallio-Mannila has been a member of Finnlines’ Executive Committee since January 2022. She joined Finnlines in 2001 and has since then held several key management positions, most recently as a Deputy Head of Group Sales, Customer Service and Marketing. She succeeds Staffan Herlin, who…

DFDS has completed its acquisition of FRS Iberia/Maroc, a short-sea ferry company connecting Spain and Morocco via the Strait of Gibraltar.“We are excited to start the integration of FRS Iberia/Maroc and look forward to applying our joint capabilities to grow the business while continuing to provide reliable, efficient ferry services to both passengers and freight customers,” said Torben Carlsen, CEO of DFDS.Reporting preliminary revenue of DKK 1.0bn for 2023, FRS Iberia/Maroc has three routes operated by a total of 850 staff of which just over 400 are own employees.

Stena RoRo has placed an order for another RoPax-class E-Flexer vessel from the Chinese shipyard CMI Jinling (Weihai). The vessel will be delivered in the first quarter of 2026 to Corsica Linea and will operate between Marseille and Corsica. This is Stena RoRo’s 13th vessel in the E-Flexer series and the first to be delivered to the Mediterranean region.“The arrival of this new LNG vessel in the fleet is a strong signal that is in line with the ambitious course set for Corsica Linea the coming years: to become the most modern shipping company in the Mediterranean by 2030.

Finnlines announced it has taken delivery of Finncanopus, its second of two Superstar-series freight-passenger (ro-pax) vessels from shipbuilder China Merchants Jinling Shipyard in Weihai.The newbuild is slated to enter service on Finnlines’ line between Finland and Sweden (Naantali–Långnäs–Kapellskär) in February 2024. The homeward voyage is expected to take 6–7 weeks as Finncanopus will be nearly fully loaded with freight and will call several ports before entering the Baltic Sea.Finncanopus is the final vessel of Finnlines EUR 500-million Green Newbuilding Program…

Danish shipping company DFDS announced it has committed to investing in battery-powered vessels to help decarbonize the maritime traffic across the English Channel.Following a meet between French Minister for Foreign Trade, Attractiveness and French Nationals Abroad, Olivier Becht and CEO of DFDS, Torben Carlsen, in October, DFDS said it will invest in the innovation and technology necessary to and deploy a fleet of battery-powered vessels in the English Channel by 2030.“We have…

Rauma Marine Constructions celebrated the launch and christening of Spirit of Tasmania IV, the first of two identical car and passenger ferries the Finnish shipyard is building for Tasmania's TT-Line.Built to replace similarly Finnish-built sister ships, the new vessels are specially designed to operate on a challenging route across the Bass Strait between Geelong, Victoria, and Devonport, Tasmania.The Spirit of Tasmania IV was christened at the RMC shipyard. The vessel’s godmother…

Finnish shipping company Wasaline announced it has started operating with certified biogas one day a week from October 13, in preparation for the EU emissions trading system that will come into force next year.The company, which operates the route connecting Vaasa, Finland and Umeå, Sweden, said it will use certified biogas aboard its ro-pax vessel Aurora Botnia for all Friday departures through December 22 as part of its “Green Fridays” pilot project.Biogas is more expensive than liquefied natural gas (LNG)…

A new ferry, fully owned by the Sicilian Region and entirely "Made in Sicily", will carry out the connection service with Lampedusa and Pantelleria. The President of the Sicilian Region Renato Schifani and the CEO and General Director of Fincantieri Pierroberto Folgiero signed the contract for the construction of a new ferry (Ropax Class A), for a price of almost $126m.“The signing of this contract represents a turning point for connections with the smaller islands of Sicily," said Schifani.

The Abu Dhabi Ports Group has commissioned Penguin Shipyard International and Incat Crowther to design and deliver two new 56-metre ro-pax catamaran passenger and vehicle ferries.The new vessels will be built by Penguin International in Indonesia and can transport up to 194 passengers and 25 vehicles.Replacing two older vessels in the Abu Dhabi Ports Group fleet, the new vessels will service Delma Island from Jebel Dhanna on the UAE mainland – a 42-kilometer route. Powered by four MTU engines and Kamewa 71 S-4 waterjets…

Finnlines on Wednesday held a naming ceremony in Naantali for its first of two new freight-passenger Superstar vessels, Finnsirius.The new ro-pax vessel, part of Finnlines €500-million Green Investment Program, was built by China Merchants Jinling Shipyard in Weihai, China.“Finnsirius is Finnlines’ new eco-efficient flagship, designed specifically for the fast-paced freight transport route between Finland and Sweden. At the same time, Finnsirius offers upgraded services and more travel comfort than the previous generation of ro-pax vessels.

Australian shipbuilder Incat Tasmania is setting a record for the largest, lightweight battery electric ship in the world with a new 130-meter (427-foot) ro-pax ferry under construction for South American customer, Buquebús.The aluminum ferry will be the first fully electric vessel in South America when delivered in 2025, operating between Argentina and Uruguay. It will have a capacity for 2,100 passengers and crew and 225 cars and will feature a duty free shop of over 2,000 square meters (21…

Finnlines announced it has taken delivery of Finnsirius, the first in a series of two Superstar hybrid freight-passenger (ro-pax) vessels built by China Merchants Jinling Shipyard in Weihai, China.The vessel will enter service on Finnlines’ Finland–Sweden (Naantali–Långnäs–Kapellskär) line from September 2023, followed by the series' second vessel, Finncanopus, expected to be delivered by the end of this year.The two ships—part of Finnlines' €500 million green newbuilding program comprising both ro-pax and ro-ro vessels—are equipped with air lubrication…

The deaths of a Polish woman and her 7-year-old son last week following their plunge from a Baltic Sea ferry travelling from Sweden to Poland was not an accident, a preliminary investigation by Danish authorities has found.The case was being investigated as a possible murder, Swedish prosecutors said on Friday.The case had been handed over to the police, the public prosecutor and the Danish Maritime Authority for further investigation. Danish authorities are investigating the case because the ferry Stena Spirit was sailing under the Danish flag."Our investigation showed quite clearly that it was not an accident," Oessur Jarleivson Hilduberg…

A Polish woman and her 7-year-old son have died after plunging from a Baltic Sea ferry travelling from Sweden to Poland, a Polish police spokesman said on Friday.Swedish authorities said on Thursday the child had fallen off the vessel and that the mother proceeded to jump overboard in an attempted rescue. The two were later winched to a helicopter and taken to a Swedish hospital."Unfortunately, in the morning we received information from the Swedish side that we have to pass on this terrible news to the family, because both the boy and the woman are dead," police spokesman Mariusz Ciarka.Swedish police could not confirm that the mother and child had died.

A mother and her 7-year-old child have been rescued after falling overboard on Thursday from a ferry traveling from Sweden to Poland, Swedish media reported.The two were being winched to a helicopter and are taken to a hospital, Stefan Land from the Swedish Maritime Administration told TT news agency, without specifying their condition.The ferry, Stena Spirit, was in the Baltic Sea midway through its journey to Gdynia in Poland from Karlskrona in Sweden when the incident occurred.The 7-year-old fell in and the mother jumped in after, the rescue services told TT.A large rescue effort was initiated, with several helicopters and NATO ships in the area helping out, TT reported.(Reuters - Reporting by Anne Kauranen; Editing by Conor Humphries)

French ferry operator Corsica Linea has signed 10-year Guaranteed Asset Performance (GAP) agreement with Wärtsilä to help ensure optimal performance of the power systems onboard the company’s new liquefied natural gas (LNG)-fueled RoPax vessel A Galeotta, which will sail between Marseille and Corsica in France. The 206-meter-long ship was built at the Visentini yard in Italy. It features two Wärtsilä 50DF dual-fuel main engines and two Wärtsilä 20DF dual-fuel auxiliary engines.The scope of the agreement includes scheduled maintenance of the main and auxiliary engines…