Shippax
Newsletter– week 50

UK
government’s emissions-reduction
scheme will increase pollution,
warns Wightlink

Isle
of Wight ferry operator Wightlink
has raised concerns that the UK
government’s expansion of the
Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) to
the maritime sector may
inadvertently increase pollution and
strain operators’ decarbonization
efforts, despite its aim to cut
emissions.

The
scheme, set to apply to shipping
from summer 2026, will require
companies exceeding emissions
thresholds to buy allowances for
each tonne of CO2 emitted. Wightlink
estimates the policy could add up to
GBP 1 million annually to its costs,
compounding recent increases in
National Insurance contributions and
business rates.

World’s
first fully autonomous passenger
ferry launches commercial
service in Japan

The
passenger ferry OLYMPIA DREAM SETO
has begun commercial operations on
the Okayama-Shodoshima route,
becoming the world’s first regular
service using Level 4-equivalent
autonomous navigation – allowing
fully automated voyages without
human intervention in designated
waters.

Operated
by Ryobi Ferry Co., the 66-metre
vessel, which carries up to 500
passengers between Shin-Okayama Port
and Teshima Port in the busy Seto
Inland Sea, passed Japan’s national
ship inspection on 5 December as the
country’s inaugural autonomous
vessel. Its inaugural unmanned runs
started 11 December, marking a leap
forward in addressing Japan’s acute
crew shortages amid an ageing
population and reducing human-error
incidents on island routes.

BYD
Energy Storage and Corvus Energy
Sign Strategic MoU to Accelerate
Marine Battery Innovation

BYD
Energy Storage and Corvus Energy AS
(Corvus) announced the signing of a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to
establish a strategic collaboration
aimed at advancing next-generation
battery solutions for the maritime
sector.

The
MoU strengthens the cooperative
relationship between the two
companies by combining BYD Energy
Storage’s scale and technological
know-how in LFP batteries with
Corvus Energy’s expertise in marine
ESS applications. Together, BYD
Energy Storage and Corvus will work
to accelerate product development,
enhance global market reach, and
deliver innovative, safe, and
high-efficiency energy storage
solutions for the global shipping
industry.

bound4blue
lands USD 44 million investment
to accelerate industrialisation

bound4blue
has closed a USD 44 million funding
round backed by leading maritime
corporates, ship owning families,
climate-focused investors and
government capital. The round was
led by OCTAVE Capital, an investment
platform affiliated with major
shipowner: IMC, and Katapult Ocean.
The round brings together new
investors including Motion Ventures,
Odfjell family office and ReOcean
Fund – led by the Prince Albert II
of Monaco Foundation and Monaco
Asset Management – alongside
existing investors Shift4Good, GTT
Strategic Ventures, KAI Capital and
CDTI (Innvierte SICC), who
strengthened their commitment to the
company.

lomarlabs
supports Advanced Wing Systems
to innovate containerised
automated wing sails for
commercial shipping

lomarlabs,
the venture catalyst created by
Lomar, announced it is collaborating
with Advanced Wing Systems to
advance the adaptation of proven
sail technology into a
containerised, automated system,
designed for global merchant
shipping. Advanced Wing Systems is a
pioneer of semi-rigid wing sails,
offering many of the aerodynamic
advantages of rigid wings but with
fewer operational constraints.

Compagnie
Vendéenne orders new vessel for
Île d’Yeu ferry routes

Compagnie
Vendéenne, part of the Croisières
Inter-îles group, has ordered a new
vessel 100% designed and built in
France, in Vendée. For over 25 years
(April–November), the company has
run maritime links to Île d’Yeu from
Port Joinville, Port Fromentine (La
Barre-de-Monts),
St-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie, and Barbâtre
(Île de Noirmoutier).

The
Wallis 26 vessel balances comfort,
efficiency, and current capacity.
Optimised hull (via CFD simulation)
and electronic fuel management will
cut fuel use significantly.
Automatic Humphree stabilisers
enhance sea comfort. Launch: April
2027, St-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie.

AIDA
Cruises completes major AIDALUNA
refit and fleet modernization

AIDA
Cruises successfully concluded a
seven-week refurbishment of the
cruise ship AIDALUNA at the Chantier
Naval shipyard in Marseille, France.
The project, running from 23 October
to 8 December 2025, represents the
second phase of the “AIDA Evolution”
initiative aimed at modernisation of
the company’s Selection-class fleet.

The
extensive maintenance period focused
on technical upgrades, energy
efficiency, and a comprehensive
overhaul of all guest and crew
areas, involving approximately 2,200
specialists.

Extension
of charter agreement of the
cruise ferry SILJA EUROPA

The
subsidiary of AS Tallink Grupp,
Tallink Silja OY and Slaapschepen
Public BV, an organisation nominated
by Centraal Orgaan Opvang
Asielzoekers (COA) in the
Netherlands extended the charter
agreement for the cruise ferry SILJA
EUROPA until 31 January 2027 with
the option of extending the
agreement for another year.

AS
Tallink Grupp Statistics for
November 2025

In
November 2025, AS Tallink Grupp
transported 377,163 passengers,
which is a 1.9% increase compared to
November 2024. The number of cargo
units decreased by 7.3% to 19,846
units and the number of passenger
vehicles decreased by 1.0% to 46,636
units compared to the same period a
year ago.

Over
150 cruise ships to call at
Ports of Stockholm in 2026

Cruise
traffic in Ports of Stockholm
continues to increase. In 2026, 157
vessels with more than 300,000
passengers are expected to visit the
ports. Cruise ship calls now occur
throughout the year, with the
majority of passengers coming from
the German market.

KNUD
E. HANSEN supports
next-generation RoPax ferries
for Cook Strait

KNUD
E. HANSEN is pleased to announce a
significant milestone in its ongoing
collaboration with Ferry Holdings
Limited. Following the successful
signing of the shipbuilding contract
with Guangzhou Shipyard
International (GSI), two new
state-of-the-art RoPax vessels will
be built.

KNUD
E. HANSEN’S involvement has
included:

–
Development of the initial concept
designs

– Preparation and refinement of
detailed contract specifications

– Shipyard capability assessments
and vetting

– Technical and commercial support
during contract negotiations.

Samsølinjen’s
electric ferry TYRFING delayed

Samsølinjen’s
upcoming electric ferry, the
TYRFING, has arrived in Denmark and
is at the shipyard in Svendborg
after a delayed journey home marred
by severe weather. The work at the
Svendborg shipyard has proved more
extensive than anticipated,
resulting in a further delay for the
ferry.

The
final work on Samsølinjen’s new
electric ferry, the TYRFING, is
unfortunately being extended. The
ferry arrived in Denmark following a
tough journey home in very poor
weather, which significantly delayed
the vessel and put the schedule
under pressure.

Øresundslinjen
hits 16-year high for foot
passengers

Measured
by foot passengers, the
Øresundslinjen ferries between
Helsingør and Helsingborg have not
had a better November since 2008. A
total of 272,311 travellers boarded
in November this year. This is 16
per cent better than in November
2024.

Back
in November 2008, there were 278,287
foot passengers on the ferries.

ORBIT
CLIPPER launch marks new era for
sustainable London transport

The
fully electric ORBIT CLIPPER has
completed its first passenger trip
across the River Thames, ushering in
a new era for sustainable transport
in London. The ferry, owned and
operated by Uber Boat by Thames
Clippers developed with part funding
from the Department for Transport
and Innovate UK, was built in
conjunction with project partners
including high-speed aluminium ship
builder, Wight Shipyard Company;
maritime civil engineering
consultants, Beckett Rankine; and
electric infrastructure specialists,
Aqua superPower.

GNV
VIRGO bunkers LNG as Italy’s
first long-haul LNG-powered ship
on a scheduled route

GNV
has achieved a milestone for Italian
shipping with the inaugural LNG
refuelling of a passenger ferry in
Genoa. The highlight was GNV VIRGO,
the company’s newest vessel and
Italy’s first long-haul LNG-powered
ship on a scheduled route.

The
cost of a family ferry crossing
– by route, day vs night, price
per mile and versus flying

Every
year, ferry comparison platform
Ferrygogo takes a deep dive into the
real cost of going on holiday by
sea. In its latest analysis, the
company examined what a return
crossing in summer 2026 costs for a
family of four with a car, across
both night and day routes in Europe.
The headline finding: a typical
night ferry crossing next summer
comes in at around GBP 930 in June
and GBP 1,070 in August, and often
undercuts the full cost of flying
once hotel nights and car hire are
included.

DBI
publishes report and
decision-support tool on risks
of alternative fuels in maritime

The
maritime sector is transitioning to
lower-carbon fuels, including
methanol, ammonia, and hydrogen, to
reduce CO2 emissions. A report
released by The Danish Institute of
Fire and Security (DBI) through the
METAFUEL project analyzes hazards
associated with these fuels
throughout the fuel-handling
process, from bunkering to engine
operation. The report includes a
digital decision-support tool
designed to assist stakeholders in
identifying safety requirements,
regulatory compliance, and knowledge
gaps for vessel design and
retrofitting.

Incat
Tasmania and Molslinjen sign
contract for third
battery-electric high-speed
catamaran

Molslinjen
has now ordered the third
battery-powered catamaran for the
operation on the Kattegat. The
shipping company has already ordered
the first two ferries from
Australian Incat, and it will also
be the Tasmanian shipping company
that will build the third ferry,
which together will be the world’s
largest electrification project at
sea. The
plan is for the ferries to be
deployed as they arrive in
Denmark. The first ferry is
scheduled to hit Danish waters at
the end of 2027, the next in the
summer of 2028, and the third in
the spring of 2029.

+200
delegates. Secure your seat and
book now!

An
Event For Ferry Professionals

We
now have more than 200 delegates
registered, with several
sponsorships already sold out, so we
recommend booking soon to secure
your participation at this 23rd
annual ferry conference organized by
Shippax.

WHERE? GNV’S
RHAPSODY

ROUTE? Genoa
– Olbia and return

WHEN? 5-7
May 2026