Shippax
Newsletter– week 6

Please
find the selection of free news added
to our website this last week. Many
more news are expected to be published
during the day, so make sure to visit
our website frequently.

Enjoy
your week!

First
Northern European ferry
newbuilding launched at Özata
Shipyard

Özata
Shipyard in Turkey launched NB101 (TBN
MISTERØY) on 3 February. The vessel is
expected to be delivered to Torghatten
in June this year. MISTERØY will be
the first of a total of three
76.8-metre ferries, each equipped with
a 1,960-kWh battery pack, to be built
by the yard for Torghatten.

Second
hull for Norleds new Træna
contract left Turkey

The
hull of RISVÆR, the second of a total
of four 84.5-metre ferries for Norled,
left Tersan Shipyard, Turkey, under
tow on 1 February, bound for Tersan
Havyard in Norway, where the hull will
be fully outfitted. SØHOLMEN, the
first vessel in the series, which is
equipped with 8 MWh battery packs, is
in the final stages of outfitting in
Norway.

Auckland’s
first plug-in hybrid electric fast
ferry set to enter service

Auckland
city’s first plug-in hybrid electric
fast ferry has completed sea trials
and will soon enter service on the
busy Auckland to Devonport commuter
route. The vessel achieved a top speed
of 36 knots on all-electric mode,
surpassing expectations. Designed by
Incat Crowther, built by Q-West Boat
Builders with systems integration by
Hamilton Jet, the operationally
flexible 32-metre vessel is the first
in a fleet of two new electric hybrid
fast ferries that will be operated by
Fullers360 for Auckland Transport.

Strategic
joint-venture to establish a RoRo
terminal in Singapore

Mitsui
O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL) and PSA
Singapore (PSA) have announced the
formation of a joint-venture RoRo
terminal in Singapore. The
joint-venture terminal is currently
subject to regulatory approval and is
expected to commence operations in the
first half of this year. As Southeast
Asia’s largest automotive transhipment
hub, Singapore is a key gateway
connecting Asia to major global
markets.

Ports
of Stockholm show positive numbers
for 2025

Ports
of Stockholm had a positive 2025,
strengthening its position as a major
Baltic hub. Passenger numbers rose
across the board, with ferry occupancy
increasing by 2% (nearly 7 million
travelers) and cruise passenger
numbers surging by 30% to 256,000.
Freight volumes remained stable at 7.5
million tonnes, securing the supply of
goods for the Greater Stockholm
region.

POLSCA
Baltic Ferries expands its route
network with a new
Gdansk–Karlshamn service

The
newly established company POLSCA
S.A. is implementing another stage
in the development of a joint brand
bringing together Polish ferry
operators. An agreement has been
signed regarding the launch of a new
ferry connection on the
Gdansk–Karlshamn route, in
cooperation with the Port of
Karlshamn and the Port of Gdansk.

Polish
ferry operators join POLSCA

On 27th
of January, an agreement was signed at
the headquarters of Polsteam to
acquire shares in Polsca S.A. joint
venture. Polsteam group (owner of
Unity Line), Hass Holding Group (owner
of EuroAfrica), and Polish Baltic
Shipping Co. (Polska Zegluga Baltycka
S.A. – Polferries) became equal
shareholders in the company.

Siem
Shipping extends charter to
Cotunav by a further three years

Cotunav
has had its charter of the 4,076
lanemetre RoRo vessel LEEVSTEN from
Siem Shipping extended by a further 36
months. The extension was fixed in
January 2026. Siem Shipping took over
LEEVSTEN as a newbuilding from the
then FSG shipyard in Flensburg in 2019
and has since chartered the vessel out
to Cotunav. Initially for 12 months,
then 36 months – and now for an
additional 36 months.

Wärtsilä
to further expand its production
capacity in Finland by 35% to meet
global increase in demand in
energy and marine

Wärtsilä
will invest approximately EUR 140
million to further expand its
production capacity by 35% at its
technology centre, Sustainable
Technology Hub (STH) in Vaasa, Finland
and associated global supply chain.

This expansion will increase
Wärtsilä’s industrial capacity and
strengthen the capacity of the
associated global supply chain,
positioning Wärtsilä to meet growing
market demand in energy and marine.

Brittany
Ferries reports surge in 2026
bookings for Guernsey routes

Brittany
Ferries has announced that forward
bookings for 2026 are currently
tracking 33% ahead of the same period
last year. The operator reports that
60,880 passengers are already booked
to travel before the end of October
across routes connecting Guernsey with
Poole, Portsmouth, and Saint-Malo.

Internal
ramp improvements on Wallenius SOL
sisters completed

Wallenius
SOL has during a planned docking at
Oresund Drydocks installed a new
internal movable ramp between the main
deck and weather deck on their
2006-built 2,774 lanemetre RoRo vessel
TAVASTLAND. The retrofit followed a
similar installation on the two sister
vessels TUNDRALAND and THULELAND which
enables full deck access via the stern
ramp.

PATRIA
SEAWAYS on an extended tour of
Stena Line’s route network

DFDS’s
1,800 lanemetre RoPax PATRIA SEAWAYS
is continuing its charter to Stena
Line through the end of March,
alternating as a replacement first for
STENA SCANDINAVICA and then STENA
GERMANICA on the Gothenburg-Kiel route
while both ferries undergo scheduled
dry-dockings at Remontowa in Gdansk.

Stena
Line to discontinue the
Halmstad–Grenaa ferry route

Stena
Line has decided to close the ferry
route between Halmstad in Sweden and
Grenaa in Denmark. The vessel STENA
NAUTICA will continue to operate the
route until 30 April.

Strong
competition from the fixed bridge
connections to and within Denmark, a
strained cost environment, and
challenging market conditions due to
global uncertainty and a weak economic
climate are the main reasons why the
Halmstad–Grenaa connection is now
being discontinued.

Molslinjen
looking for a new CEO

Denmark’s
largest ferry company, Molslinjen, is
facing a change of management. The
owners of Nordic Ferry Infrastructure
(NFI) have initiated the process of
finding a new CEO, which means that
Kristian Durhuus will step down after
almost three years.

Kristian
Durhuus took over as CEO of Molslinjen
in March 2023 in connection with
Molslinjen’s acquisition of ForSea,
where he had been CEO since 2020 after
nine years as COO of Copenhagen
Airport. Now the owners have decided
that the next phase in Molslinjen’s
development requires a different
profile in the top management
position.

Isle
of Wight businesses unite to
oppose ETS charges threatening
local economy

More
than 35 businesses across the Isle of
Wight including the Isle of Wight
Chamber have come together to raise
urgent concerns about the UK
Government’s proposal to include
domestic maritime operations in the UK
Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) from
July 2026. In a joint letter sent this
week to the Secretary of State for
Energy Security and Net Zero, the
group warns that the move could have
serious and disproportionate
consequences for the Island’s economy,
connectivity, and communities.

Option
on a sister ship to COSTANZA I DI
SICILIA to be exercised

The
Sicilian Region intends to exercise an
option for an additional ferry at
Fincantieri. The Region currently has
the 14,000 GT COSTANZA I DI SICILIA
under construction at the Fincantieri
Palermo shipyard, with delivery
expected in June 2026. When the EUR
114.6 million dual fuel LNG RoPax –
capable of carrying 1,000 passengers
and 200 cars – was contracted, an
option was also agreed for a sister
ship.

Viking
Line continues its major
investment in biogas

Viking
Line is starting 2026 by renewing its
offer of travel and transport powered
by a high share of renewable European
biogas. After multiplying the use of
biofuel tenfold last year, Viking Line
has now secured another year at the
same ambitious level.

The
biogas is used alongside liquefied
natural gas on the company’s newest
ships, VIKING GLORY and VIKING GRACE,
which operate daily between Turku and
Stockholm. This combination results in
very low sulphur and particle
emissions, as well as a greatly
reduced climate footprint.

Draft
IMO workplan agreed on safety
rules for battery, wind and
nuclear-powered ships

IMO’s
Sub-Committee on Ship Design and
Construction (SDC) has finalised a
workplan to develop a safety
regulatory framework for ships using
new technologies and alternative fuels
to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The draft workplan will be submitted
to the Maritime Safety Committee (MSC
111) for approval in May 2026.

The
workplan will involve developing or
amending existing safety regulations
related to nuclear power,
wind-propulsion and wind-assisted
power; and lithium-ion batteries and
swappable traction battery containers
on ships, that are under the purview
of the SDC Sub-Committee.

SF
Bay Ferry’s completed its best
January ever with a record 229,000
passengers

SF Bay
Ferry ridership hit a major milestone
in January, exceeding 106% of 2019
levels, the agency’s highest monthly
recovery mark. It also marks the
second consecutive month in which SF
Bay Ferry exceeded its 2019 ridership
for the same month after the agency
hit 100.1% of December 2019 ridership
last month.

Over
the past 12 months, SF Bay Ferry’s
recovery rate is 95%. It carried 3
million passengers in 2025 for just
the second time ever.

ShoreLink
to electrify Eckerö Line’s
Helsinki–Tallinn route with
automated charging solutions

ShoreLink
will provide two 6.5 MVA ChargeLink
solutions to Eckerö Line’s FINLANDIA,
supporting Rederi Ab Eckerö Group’s
efforts to reduce emissions on the
busy Helsinki–Tallinn route. The
solution will enable onboard battery
systems to be charged at both the Port
of Helsinki and the Port of Tallinn,
facilitating high-frequency passenger
and freight operations between the two
cities.

GNV
takes delivery of GNV AURORA, the
company’s second LNG ship

GNV
announced that GNV AURORA, the second
LNG-powered unit in the company’s
fleet, has been delivered from
Guangzhou Shipyard International (GSI)
in China. The ship will soon leave for
the Mediterranean and, once the final
fittings have been completed, will
enter service at the beginning of
April, operating on the Genoa-Palermo
route on a daily basis.

With a
gross tonnage of approximately 53,000,
a length of 218 metres, a width of
29.60 metres, and a maximum cruising
speed of 25 knots, GNV AURORA will be
able to accommodate over 1,700
passengers in 426 cabins and carry up
to 2,780 lane metres of cargo.

Wallenius
vessels WAY FORWARD and FUTURE WAY
achieve top rating for energy
efficiency

The
first two vessels in the Sleipner
concept – WAY FORWARD and FUTURE WAY –
have, after just over a year in
operation, demonstrated excellent
performance, low fuel consumption, and
CII values far below current
requirement levels. This means they
emit significantly less CO2 per
transported unit than the average for
comparable vessels, placing them
comfortably in the highest energy
efficiency class (A) according to the
IMO’s international classification.

Royal
Caribbean Group achieves
significant growth in 2025

Royal
Caribbean Group has concluded 2025
with a major financial surge,
reporting total revenues of USD 17.9
billion compared to USD 16.5 billion
in 2024. Net income also saw a
substantial increase, rising to USD
4.3 billion for the full year 2025, up
from USD 2.9 billion the year prior.

Royal
Caribbean Group places orders for
new Discovery Class ships at
Chantiers de l’Atlantique

Royal
Caribbean Group announced a series of
agreements with the Chantiers de
l’Atlantique (CdA) shipyard in Saint
Nazaire, France to secure the
construction of its new Discovery
Class ships. The agreements include
two firm ship orders with options for
four additional ships. The first ship
in the class is set to debut in 2029,
while the second ship is scheduled to
be delivered in 2032.