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Tallink Grupp confirms its LNG ferry order

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 27 March 2019 27 March 2019

AS Tallink Grupp and Rauma Marine Constructions (RMC) have signed the contract for the construction of a new LNG-powered fast ferry for the Tallinn – Helsinki route shuttle operations, which enters into force today.

Similarly to the group’s newest vessel Megastar, the new shuttle ferry will also be dual fuel operated, its overall length will be approximately 212 metres and with a passenger capacity of 2,800. The vessel will cost approximately 250 million euros and it will be built at the Rauma shipyard in Finland, providing approximately 1,500 man-years of employment for the shipyard. The delivery of the vessel is expected in January 2022.

The new vessel is another step for Tallink Grupp towards achieving even greater energy efficiency and eco-friendliness for its shipping operations. The new shuttle ferry, with a gross tonnage of approximately 50,000 and a service speed of 27 knots, will use LNG as main fuel and meet all the current and future known emission regulations.

According to the contract, 30 percent of the total cost will be paid during the construction period and the rest after the delivery of the vessel. AS Tallink Grupp plans to finance 70 percent of the new ship cost in 2022 by long-term loan, the loan terms will be concluded in the near future.

Commenting on the contract, Paavo Nõgene, the CEO of Tallink Grupp, said: "The construction of Megastar and bringing this next generation vessel onto the Baltic Sea, has transformed our shuttle service between Tallinn and Helsinki. The vessel has been extremely well received by our customers, with over 4 million passengers already having travelled on the vessel. In addition to the increased passenger comfort, just as importantly, Megastar has taken our operations also to the next level in terms of environmentally friendly operations and increased efficiency.

It was therefore only logical that a similar vessel should be built for the route sooner or later to enhance our operations on this important route for us even further. We are pleased to have signed the construction contract with RMC, thus supporting also our regional economies due to the construction taking place in Rauma, and we look forward to starting the shipbuilding process.“

Commenting on the contract, Jyrki Heinimaa, the CEO of RMC, said: "We are very proud that Tallink trusted us in giving this important project to RMC for successful design and manufacturing their newest shuttle ferry, which takes some benefits from the existing fleet, but exceeds them in performance thanks to the integration of the newest technology applications, for example concerning power demand. In RMC’s path to global technology leadership in ferry building, this project is a great milestone and brings us on an even level with the market leaders.

“The project itself is extremely awaited in Rauma, since it allows us to continue our amicable co-operation with our colleagues at Tallink, of which we have had great experiences already since the beginning of the millennium, when M/S Romantika was under construction in Rauma as the first newbuilding ferry of Tallink Grupp.“

AS Tallink Grupp is one of the leading providers of passenger transport and cargo transport services in the northern part of the Baltic Sea region. The company owns 14 vessels and operates seven ferry routes under the brand names of Tallink and Silja Line. AS Tallink Grupp employs over 7,400 people in Estonia, Finland, Sweden, Latvia, Russia and Germany. In 2018, Tallink Grupp provided services to 9.8 million travellers and transported approximately 385,000 freight units of goods. The shares of Tallink Grupp are listed on the Nasdaq Tallinn Stock Exchange and Nasdaq Helsinki Stock Exchange.

Stena RoRo signs contract for a ninth Stena E-Flexer

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 27 March 2019 27 March 2019

Stena RoRo has placed an order for a further newbuild in the so-called Stena E-Flexer RoPax class with the Chinese shipyard AVIC International. This is a continuation of the eight newbuilds already ordered and Stena RoRo has an option for another two ships. The vessel, which will operate on LNG, has been assigned for a long-term charter with Brittany Ferries. Delivery is set for autumn 2023.

Long charter contracts have thus been signed with Brittany Ferries for a total of three vessels, whereof two will operate on LNG-fuel. The keel of the first vessel was laid in a ceremony in January in the shipyard. These three newbuilds will complement the company’s current fleet of high class freight and passenger vessels.

”We are very pleased to have placed another order with the AVIC shipyard, with which we have had a very positive cooperation over the last three years. The shipyard hasbeen able to meet our demands for flexibility and thereby enabled us to serve our customers with tailormade products. The newly signed third charter contract with Brittany Ferries is a further proof of this," comments Per Westling, CEO Stena RoRo.

Juneau reaches settlement with industry

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 20 March 2019 20 March 2019

The City and Borough of Juneau (CBJ) has reached a settlement with the cruise industry, which brings to an end a nearly three-year legal battle over the proper use of head taxes and passenger fees. The agreement follows a U.S. District Court judge’s ruling last December that said such fees were legal under the U.S. Constitution’s Tonnage Clause, but that they may only be used in ways that directly benefit the ships. The CBJ collects two fees – a Marine Passenger Fee of $5 and a Port Development Fee of $3 – amounting to $8 per passenger.

Under the terms of the agreement, Juneau may continue to use the passenger fees for “the planning, design and construction necessary to improve private and public cruise ship docks.” In addition, the fees may be used to fund restrooms, signage, motorcoach staging areas, passenger queuing facilities, and other cruise-related infrastructure expenditures. The parties further agreed to meet annually to discuss the use of passenger fees for future projects and that the fees would not be increased from their current levels for a period of at least three years.

In a statement, CLIA Alaska said: “We are pleased to reach resolution with the CBJ and appreciate the considerable efforts by the Mayor, Assembly and City Manager toward what is a very positive outcome. The agreement achieves our goal of providing certainty and predictability of how passenger fees will be utilized going forward, while still supporting services to our guests and the local community. Working together allows for continued positive economic benefits to Juneau in a manner that sustains the quality of life for residents and provides a great experience in a world-class destination.”

Fincantieri cuts steel for Viking's seventh newbuild

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: More News More News; Published: 19 March 2019 19 March 2019

The steel cutting ceremony of the seventh ship which Fincantieri is building for Viking Cruises, took place on March 18 at the shipyard in Ancona.

The new unit, whose delivery is scheduled in 2021, will be placed in the small cruise ship segment. As its sister ships, she will have a gross tonnage of about 47,800 tons and 465 cabins with accommodation for 930 passengers.

The Viking units are all built according to the latest navigation regulations and equipped with the most modern safety systems, including the “Safe return to port”. Furthermore, they feature the most advanced technologies for energy saving and for meeting the strictest environmental regulations with energy-efficient engines and an exhaust gas cleaning system.

Fincantieri started its partnership with Viking in 2012, trusting the shipowner who was entering the ocean cruise market as a start-up. Today, the cooperation which first began with an order for two ships, has reached a total of 20 units, including the order awarded to Vard for two exploration cruise ships and the options. This is an all-time record, the largest number of units built by a shipbuilder for one sole shipowner.

The first of the series, Viking Star, has been built at the shipyard in Marghera and delivered in 2015. The other units, Viking Sea, Viking Sky, Viking Sun, and Viking Orion, handed over in 2016, 2017 and 2018, were all built at the Ancona yard, as well as Viking Jupiter, which joined the shipowner’s fleet in February. Other 10 units, options included, for Viking Cruises will take to the sea from the Group’s Italian yards between 2021 and 2027.

Cypriot niche operator Poseidon Expeditions appoint GAC as national agent in UK

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: More News More News; Published: 15 March 2019 15 March 2019

Niche cruise specialists Poseidon Expeditions, whose headquarters are in Limassol in Cyprus, are coming to the United Kingdom, and GAC has been appointed as their national agent to take care of the 114-passenger Sea Spirit from the Scilly Isles in the south to the coast of Scotland in the north, the company said in a statement.

The expedition cruise line offers luxury sailings to remote and less frequented destinations, such as the Arctic and Antarctic. They aim to give curious, discerning travellers the perfect combination of comfort, service and adventure, serving a global clientele with offices in the UK, Cyprus, Germany, USA, China and Russia.

Poseidon Expeditions is the latest cruise company to select GAC UK as its agent, joining other operators such as Ponant, Fred Olsen and Grand Circle Cruise Line.

The Sea Spirit will take GAC UK to 25 ports on the Isles of May and Noss, Bass Rock, Grutness, Moussa, Llandudno, St Kilda and more, to arrange berths, timings, attractions and itineraries. Some of the calls are to uninhabited islands, where careful enquiries and arrangements have been made to establish ownership and permission to land the guests.

Angelica Vorea, CEO of Poseidon Expeditions, says: “In 2019, we expanded the geographic scope of our cruise destinations with the inclusion of the British Isles. The ‘Sea Spirit ‘ will be visiting coastal areas and smaller islands, inaccessible to larger vessels, keeping with our mission of providing our guests with a destination-focused experience, combining a high standard of onboard comfort and service with the spirit of adventure. We look forward to this new cooperation with GAC, which will provide our guests with an exceptional experience in the UK.”

Fergus Poole, GAC UK’s Cruise Manager, says: “With a 300% increase in cruise calls for 2019, along with the expansion of the range of our cruise products to include baggage distribution and ground handling services, we look forward to forging close ties with Poseidon Expeditions, and many other cruise lines in the years to come.”

The Sea Spirit will set off from Plymouth on 20 May, and complete its tour