Shippax
Newsletter– week 4

The
latest issue of our magazine has now
been sent to the printers and will be
available to read online tomorrow for
our subscribers.

Have a
good afternoon

Next-generation
RoPax design developed for
Cotunav/Tunisia Ferries unveiled

OSK
Design unveiled the next-generation
RoPax design developed for
Cotunav/Tunisia Ferries. This
innovative vessel is set to join the
Tunisia Ferries fleet, strengthening
connections between Tunis, Barcelona,
Genova, and Marseille.

Key
Highlights:

Length
Overall: 210 m

Capacity:
3.000 passengers in cabins, 730
cars, and 170 trucks

Service
Speed: 24 knots

Propulsion:
Electric plant powered by dual-fuel
diesel/methanol generators, azimuth
thrusters, and a battery package for
peak-shaving, spinning reserve, and
zero-emission port operations

Norwest
Ship Management acquires MN
PELICAN (TBN LINK NEPTUNE) from
Compagnie Maritime Nantaise – MN

The
representatives of Norwest Ship
Management and Compagnie Maritime
Nantaise – MN were in Le Havre,
Normandy, France, to sign the sale
contract for the RoRo vessel MN
PELICAN (TBN LINK NEPTUNE).

MN
PELICAN (formerly TRANS BOTNIA Trans
Botnia) was built at the Fosen
shipyard in Norway in 1999. She is
therefore returning today to her
country of origin.

Production
of the fifth Icon Class ship
started at Meyer Turku Shipyard

On
Monday, 19 January 2026, production of
the fifth vessel in the Icon Class
began at the Meyer Turku shipyard. The
ceremonial event held in the steel
hall was attended by representatives
of the ship’s owner Royal Caribbean
Group, the Meyer Turku organization,
and the classification society.

Icon 5
is scheduled to be delivered in summer
2028.

Torghatten
signs contract with Remontowa for
hybrid double-ender

On 16
January this year, Stocznia Remontowa
Shipbuilding S.A., part of the
Remontowa Holding S.A. capital group,
signed a contract with Torghatten Midt
AS for the construction of a
hybrid-powered passenger and car
ferry.

The
shipyard will build a fully equipped,
modern double-ended ferry designed for
sailing in the Norwegian fjords, in
the area of the Dønna and Herøy
islands. This area is known for its
beautiful landscapes and picturesque
fishing villages. The vessel will be
able to carry 249 passengers, 85 cars
and up to 6 lorries at a time.

STENA
CONNECTA arrives in Belfast
Harbour

STENA
CONNECTA, the latest purpose-built
freight vessel commissioned by Stena
Line for the Irish Sea has arrived in
Belfast Harbour and is due to go into
commercial service on the
Belfast-Heysham route on 23rd January
2026.

The
ship joins its sister vessel STENA
FUTURA which went into service on the
Belfast-Heysham service in October
2025 and together they offer an
additional 40% freight capacity on the
increasing popular trade route between
Northern Ireland and Britain.

P&O
Ferries reported increased losses
in 2024

P&O
Ferries latest set of accounts show an
overall net loss of GBP 99 million in
2024, up from GBP 91.4 million the
year before, as turnover fell by 8.9
per cent. Freight volumes during 2024
declined, as did passenger numbers,
with P&O Ferries carrying 1.3
million passengers during the year
under review, down slightly on the
year before and almost half the 8.4
million who travelled on the company’s
vessels in 2018.

Interferry
demands pause on EU ETS
implementation at 70% coverage

Interferry,
the global trade association for the
ferry industry, calls for an immediate
halt to the further phasing-in of the
EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) for
the maritime sector. The demand
follows the recent decision to
continue exempting road transport from
a parallel ETS mechanism and the lack
of clear regulations on the
distribution of the funds collected.

Interferry is calling for an immediate
halt on the further implementation of
the EU ETS for the ferry sector,
maintaining the surrendering
obligation for maritime emissions
frozen at the 70% level scheduled for
2025, and halting the planned increase
to 100% in 2026.

Stena
Line report stable start to 2026
on the Gothenburg–Frederikshavn
route

New
booking figures for the
Gothenburg–Frederikshavn route show an
increase in travel this spring. In
January, Stena Line is 12 per cent
above volume compared to the same
period in 2025.

At the
same time, Stena Line sees continued
strong travel from Denmark with a
focus on winter sports. For the third
year in a row, the company is breaking
volume records for the ski season,
thanks to the successful collaboration
with SkiStar.

Production
of MSC/GNV’s first 237-metre RoPax
started at GSI

A steel
cut ceremony at the GSI shipyard
marked the start of production for the
first of four planned 237-metre
LNG-capable RoPax ferries for MSC/GNV.
Details about the ships are so far
scarce, but what is known is that they
will each have a capacity for 2,500
passengers, hold a 3,500 lane metre
freight capacity and include 500
cabins.

Delivery
of the first ship is planned for March
2028, with all four completed by 2029.

TYRFING
finally enters service after two
further delays

After
two additional postponements to the
start of operations for Molslinjen’s
newbuild TYRFING, the ferry finally
entered service on 16 January. This
took place with the 13:30 departure
from Ballen (Samsø) to Kalundborg
(Zealand). TYRFING arrived in Denmark
on 25 November 2025 on its delivery
voyage from Cemre Shipyard in Turkey,
where the ferry was the second of two
newbuilds for Molslinjen’s two
sub-brands, Alslinjen and Samsølinjen
respectively.

ISLE
OF ISLAY has been formally handed
over to CMAL

CMAL
has formally taken ownership of ISLE
OF ISLAY following a handover ceremony
at Cemre Shipyard in Yalova, Türkiye,
where the vessel was built. ISLE OF
ISLAY, the first of four ferries being
constructed at the yard, will serve
Islay and Jura when she enters
service, and will be joined by her
sister vessel LOCH INDAAL later this
year.

The
95-metre ISLE OF ISLAY and its three
sister ships, two of which are
destined for the Little Minch routes,
will each have a capacity for up to
450 passengers and 100 cars or 14
commercial vehicles.

Liberty
Line sells hydrofoil ferry ESCHILO
to Greek Operator Alpha Lines

Italian
ferry company Liberty Lines has sold
its FoilMaster hydrofoil ESCHILO to
Alpha Lines, the Greek operator
serving the Saronic Gulf islands
(including Hydra, Poros, and Spetses).

The
2006-built and 240 passenger capacity
ESCHILO, built by Rodriquez shipyard
in Italy and previously operated
routes from Milazzo to the Aeolian
Islands (such as Salina and Vulcano),
has already been delivered to its new
owner.

TS
Laevad sets all-time records in
2025 and signs agreement to use
REGULA as a replacement vessel
until the end of 2028

2025
was another record-breaking year for
TS Laevad. The company carried a
historic 2,491,876 passengers (+1%
from 2024) and 1,214,861 vehicles (+3%
from 2024). Growth was especially
strong in passenger cars (+3%), trucks
(+5%), and trailers (+7%). The number
of buses and motorhomes surpassed the
pre-pandemic record from 2019, while
foreign-registered vehicles increased
by ~3,800 to around 126,000 (10% of
total).

World’s
largest battery-electric ship
begins harbour trials in Hobart

Incat
Tasmania has conducted harbour trials
in the River Derwent for the first
time with the world’s largest
battery-electric ship, the CHINA
ZORRILLA, built for Buquebus in South
America. This marks the first occasion
that Hull 096 – the largest
battery-electric vessel ever
constructed – has moved under its own
battery-electric propulsion,
signalling the transition from
construction to operational testing
for the 130-metre ship.

GNV
ALTAIR to enter service on
Algerian routes

GNV
announces a further step in the
process of strengthening its fleet
with the entry of GNV ALTAIR, the
former JANAS of Moby. GNV ALTAIR will
be operational from 21 February and
will be deployed on the Algerian
market on the Sète–Béjaia and
Sète–Algiers routes, guaranteeing two
rotations every week, one to Béjaia
and one to Algiers.

Washington
State Ferries’s ridership
surpasses 20 million for first
time since 2019

Washington
State Ferries achieved a major
milestone in 2025, carrying 20,108,545
total riders — the highest annual
total since 2019 and a solid recovery
from pandemic lows. Ridership reached
20.1 million (9.42 million
vehicles/drivers + 10.69 million
walk-on passengers), up significantly
from 19.1 million in 2024 — a ~5%
increase (nearly 1 million more
riders). Operated more than 150,000
sailings (about 7,000 additional trips
compared to 2024).

Wightlink
steps up capacity between Yarmouth
and Lymington

From
April, Wightlink will be running a
three-vessel setup on their Yarmouth
to Lymington service during periods of
traditional high demand – meaning an
additional 868 sailings compared to
its 2025 timetable. The announcement
is a response to greater customer
demand and emphasises Wightlink’s
commitment to the route.

The
increase in sailings, a rise of over
8% on last year, will also reduce
pinch-points in availability at high
demand periods meaning more
opportunity for travel as well as
providing more capacity for Multilink
users.