Shippax
Newsletter– week 12

MANXMAN
has proved its value in its first
two years of operation

A total
of 630,279 passengers travelled with
the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company’s
ferries in 2024. This is the highest
figure since 2007 and 1.2% more than
in 2023. Revenue from passenger
tickets increased by 6.8%, while
passengers also spent more onboard.

Grenaa
open for new ferry operator to
Sweden after Stena exit – but only
for one year

On 30
April, Stena Line will sail its final
crossing with STENA NAUTICA on its
route between Halmstad in Sweden and
Grenaa in Denmark. The company has
operated the route since 2020, when
the Swedish port of call was moved
from Varberg to Halmstad, but
unsatisfactory traffic figures have
led Stena Line to a withdrawal from
Grenaa.

Only
1.5 months left until the 2026
Shippax Ferry Conference

There
are only 1.5 months left until the
2026 Shippax Ferry Conference, and few
seats remain. Secure yours now before
we sell out.

Timetable, speakers and
exhibitors/sponsors list has been
updated.

• ~500
  delegates, +240 companies
• Two
  days of programme with industry
  expert speakers
• Intimate,
  approachable and efficient
  networking
• A
  proper exhibition area
• Value-for-money.
  All events, meals and cabins
  included
• A
  guaranteed both educational and
  enjoyable event!

WHERE? GNV’S
RHAPSODY

ROUTE? Genoa
– Olbia and return

WHEN? 5-7
May 2026

REGISTER
NOW

We
still have a few sponsorships and exhibition
stands left to maximise your
company’s exposure!

These
sponsorships are left:

-Lunch, 6th of May

-Dinner drink, 6th of May

-Breakfast, 7th of May

Extra
night on board RHAPSODY before the
conference (4–5 May, 2026)

For
those of you arriving the day before
the conference starts, we offer the
possibility to stay on board RHAPSODY
also between 4–5 May, 2026, in the
same cabin you will occupy during the
conference (5-7 May).

This option provides a cost- and
time-efficient alternative to a hotel
stay for guests arriving in Genoa the
day before the conference begins. It
is also an excellent opportunity for
exhibitors and/or sponsors to set up
their exhibition tables at a relaxed
pace.

This
extra night is booked through the
regular registration page Registration
online 2026 | Shippax Ferry
Conference

THEME

“OPTIMISING
OPERATIONS, ENHANCING EXPERIENCES”

MAIN
PROGRAMME SESSIONS

Moderators

Frederik Erdmann – Moderator and
contributing correspondent Shippax

Alan Lam – Co-moderator and
correspondent and analyst Shippax

RoPax
executives panel debate 1

Matteo Catani – CEO GNV

Christophe Mathieu – CEO Brittany
Ferries

Pierre Mattei – CEO and Owner of
Corsica Ferries group

Étienne Melliani – CEO La Méridionale

Kasper Moos – CEO P&O Ferries

Marcus Risberg – CEO Viking Line

More TBA

RoPax
executives panel debate 2

Götz Becker – Managing Director FRS

Carlos Santos – Managing Director
Porto Santo Line

Brian Thomson – Managing Director Isle
of Man Steam Packet Company

More TBA

RoRo
executives panel debate

Mohamed Badawy – Chairman UME Shipping

Elvir Dzanic – CEO Wallenius SOL

Euan Lonmon – Director Grendi

Dan Mikkola – Managing director Godby
Shipping

More TBA

Keynote
speakers

Tobias Billström – Former Swedish
minister for foreign affairs,
migration, deputy speaker of
parliament, entrepreneur and advisor

Thomas P. Illes – Maritime business
consultant and university lecturer

Bruce Peter – Professor of Design
History at the Glasgow School of Art

More TBA

New
ships & projects

Robert Clifford – Chairman Incat

Frederik Gerhardt – Lead Naval
Architect RISE (Research Institutes of
Sweden)

Nikias Ioannidis – Business
Development LMG Marin

Victor Laravoire – Project Execution
Director LMG Marin

Kristian Lind – Chief Technical
Officer OSK Design

Ivana Melillo – Energy Efficiency
Director GNV

Juan Pablo Molina – Corporate
Technical Director Balearia

Roberto Prever – CEO NAOS Ship and
Boat design

Per Westling – Managing Director Stena
RoRo

Zhou Zhiyong – Vice President Shanghai
Merchant Ship Design & Research
Institute (SDARI)

Ferry
industry performance and megatrends

Frederik Erdmann – Moderator and
correspondent for Shippax

Alan Lam – Co-moderator and
correspondent and analyst Shippax

New
technologies and inspirations

ABB – Speaker TBA

Diego Caride – Business Development
Director, Marine Division, Ingeteam

Giorgio Caviglia – Global Business
Development Manager GF Piping Systems

Magne Ekerum – Chief Design Officer
Seat Innovation

Manos Giakoumelis – Chief Technology
Officer Liknoss

Tony Jinvresse – Business Development
Manager for Marine & Offshore VID
FIREKILL

Konstantina Katachana – Product
Manager Liknoss

Alex Rubio – Group Product Manager
Quvia

Markus Tompuri – Account Director,
Ferry (Global), Safety Solutions, NAPA

Oier Urrutia Madariaga – Key Account
Manager Ingeteam

Wärtsilä – Speaker TBA

Zelim – Speaker TBA

Rules
& Regulations Debate

Roger Barrett James – Executive Vice
President & General Counsel
Unifire

Johan Roos – Director of Regulatory
Affairs, Interferry

Tiina Tuurnala – CEO of the Finnish
Shipowners’ Association

More TBA

Designers’
Talking Table

Thomas P. Illes – Maritime business
consultant and university lecturer

Emelie Posniak Hansen – Architect and
Sales Manager for Interior at OSK
Design

Bruce Peter – Professor of Design
History at the Glasgow School of Art

More TBA

Interferry
update

Mike Corrigan – CEO Interferry

More TBA

Shippax
Awards

Frederik Erdmann, Alan Lam

Danish
Royals visit Incat to view
Europe’s largest electric ferries

Incat
Tasmania welcomed Their Majesties The
King and Queen of Denmark to the
Hobart shipyard, where they viewed
construction of the world’s most
advanced battery-electric ferries.
Their Majesties were joined by Prime
Minister Anthony Albanese during the
official visit, which showcased
Incat’s leadership in sustainable
shipbuilding and highlighted the
construction of three large
battery-electric ferries for Danish
operator Molslinjen.

CMAL
takes ownership of Ardrossan
Harbour

Caledonian
Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) completed
the purchase of Ardrossan Harbour on
behalf of the Scottish Government. The
acquisition from Peel Ports Group
includes the full harbour area, the
Arran and Irish berths, linkspans, car
park and marshalling area, part of the
land currently used by the boatyard,
and the approach road. CMAL, owned by
The Scottish Government, is buying
Ardrossan harbour to speed up its
long-planned upgrade for sailings to
Brodick on Arran.

Remontowa
delivers electric ferry BJARKØY to
Torghatten

On 18
March, Stocznia Remontowa Shipbuilding
S.A delivered the electrically powered
BJARKØY to Torghatten Nord AS.
Construction of the vessel began in
May 2024. BJARKØY is equipped with two
azimuth thrusters fitted with
vertically mounted electric motors,
powered by batteries with a total
capacity of approximately 2.3 MWh.

Continued
FuelEU Maritime pooling with
Viking Line and Wallenius SOL

Gasum
continues its strategic pooling
partnerships with Viking Line and
Wallenius SOL in 2026. By operating
their vessels on bio-LNG, Viking Line
and Wallenius SOL are generating
compliance units for Gasum’s FuelEU
Maritime pool. Both companies sail
dualfuel vessels that can use LNG or
bio-LNG interchangeably as fuel.

Construction
of BURSZTYN UNITY moving forward

Construction
of BURSZTYN UNITY, sister ship to
JANTAR UNITY, at Gdansk’s Remontowa
Shipyard is entering its final phase,
with delivery to Unity Line expected
in the last quarter of 2026.

Candela
and Canopy Power partner to
deliver floating solar charging
for electric ferries in
asia-pacific

Candela
has signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) with
Singapore-based renewable energy firm
Canopy Power to deploy floating
solar-powered charging stations for
electric vessels in the Asia-Pacific
(APAC) region. The collaboration
integrates Candela’s efficient P-12
hydrofoil ferries with Canopy Power’s
microgrids featuring Ocean Sun’s
patented floating solar technology,
creating a fully fossil-free
“sun-to-sea” ecosystem for remote
island communities and coastal
tourism.

Interferry
Regulatory Report • IMO Ship
Systems and Equipment (SSE) 12
Summary

On 9
March 2026, the IMO sub-committee on
Ship Systems and Equipment convened
for its 12th session (SSE12). To
Interferry, the most relevant issue
was fires on ro-ro decks, where we
were heavily engaged in the
comprehensive amendments on fire
protection for ro-ro passenger ships,
adopted by the IMO in 2024. Following
that work, the IMO now puts its focus
on fires inside containers and on
cargo decks of vehicle carriers. The
latter in particular relates to the
carriage of electric vehicles on Pure
Car and Truck Carriers (PCTCs).

GSI
identified as lead bidder for
Northern Isles Freight Flex
vessels contract

The
lead bidder for a contract to build
two new freight flex vessels to serve
the Aberdeen to Kirkwall/Lerwick Route
has been identified. Caledonian
Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL) intends
to award the contract to Guangzhou
Shipyard International Co., Ltd (GSI)
in China, following a 10-day
standstill period.

The
140m long freight flex ferries will
replace the HELLIAR and HILDASAY on
the service operated by Serco
NorthLink Ferries.

Attica
Group announces major fleet
renewal

Attica
Group has signed a five-year bareboat
charter agreement for the 2021-built
RoPax GNV BRIDGE, which will be
renamed SUPERFAST V and join the
Adriatic routes in May 2026, replacing
the 1987-built LEFKA ORI. The Group is
also renewing its fast ferry fleet in
the Saronic Gulf through the purchase
of two modern 270-seat Aero Highspeed
catamarans and the en-bloc sale of
four older vessels to Seajets.

1980-Built
Brodogradiliste RoRo sold for
scrapping

The
Turkey-based company Clearline
Shipping Ltd. has sold the RoRo vessel
GUZEL, built in 1980, for scrapping.
The 962 lanemetre GUZEL sailed under
the name CIRKIN until 2020 and has
been linked to several violations of
the arms transport embargo to Libya,
but in recent years it mainly operated
between Turkey and Russia.

Ukraine
strikes two Russian rail ferries

During
the night between 13 and 14 March, the
Ukrainian military attacked the RoRo
rail ferry connection across the Kerch
Strait between the Russian-occupied
Crimean Peninsula and mainland Russia.
The rail ferry service supplements the
railway line on the bridge across the
Kerch Strait, which has been attacked
several times by Ukraine, although it
has not yet been destroyed.

BLUE
LUMINOUS was renamed NATCHAN NEO,
and NATCHAN WORLD left Japan for
Greece

BLUE
LUMINOUS, which plied between Hakodate
and Aomori from 2020 to August 2025
under Tsugaru Kaikyo Ferry, was sold
to High-speed Marine Transport and
renamed NATCHAN NEO in autumn of 2025.
She will be used as a transport ship
by the Japan Self-Defense Forces
(JSDF). Meanwhile, NATCHAN WORLD,
which has been used by the JSDF under
High-speed Marine Transport was sold
to Seajets, and renamed TERA JET 3.

Damen
unveils first Waterbus 2907
Electric

Damen
Shipyards Group has completed
construction of the first Waterbus
2907 Electric. The fully electric
vessel is designed to provide
sustainable public transport in urban
areas, operating with extremely low
levels of wash and zero emissions. The
shipbuilder has introduced the vessel
at a special event at Damen Shiprepair
Amsterdam.

NGO
urges for immediately removal of
EU approvals for shipbreaking in
Aliaga

In an
open letter the European Commission,
the NGO Shipbreaking Platform urge the
commission to take immediate action to
remove the EU approval of ship
recycling facilities in Aliaga,
Turkey, under Article 23 of the EU
Ship Recycling Regulation, until
changes are made to align the sector
with existing EU and national
environmental laws, occupational
health and safety standards and labour
rights.

Læsø
Municipality has initially
declined an offer from Molslinjen

Læsøfærgen
– the municipally owned ferry company
on the Danish Kattegat island of Læsø
– has for now chosen not to accept
Molslinjen’s offer to operate the
island’s ferry service with a newly
built fully electric ferry.

Grimaldi
takes delivery of car carrier
GRANDE SEOUL

In
Shanghai, the Grimaldi Group took
delivery of the new Pure Car &
Truck Carrier (PCTC) GRANDE SEOUL.
Built by SWS (Shanghai Waigaoqiao
Shipbuilding Company Limited) and
CSTC (China Shipbuilding Trading
Company Limited) – both part of
China State Shipbuilding Corporation
Limited (CSSC) – the vessel is the
Italian group’s ninth ammonia-ready
unit, meaning she is prepared for
the future use of ammonia as an
alternative, zero-carbon fuel.

Echandia
launches the next generation of
Echandia Ultra

Building
on six years of proven ferry operation
in Copenhagen, the new battery system
strengthens Echandia’s offering for
demanding high-power marine duty
cycles, delivering faster charging,
longer service life, and reliability
for demanding operations.

TINKER
BELL collides with SKÅNE in
Trelleborg port

A
technical malfunction aboard TT-Line’s
ferry TINKER BELL led to a collision
with the moored Stena Line vessel
SKÅNE in Trelleborg harbor in the
afternoon of Wednesday the 11th of
March, causing notable damage but no
injuries or pollution.

The
incident occurred around 1:30 p.m.
when TINKER BELL, returning from
maintenance in Klaipeda, lost steering
control while entering the port. It
struck the port-side bow of SKÅNE,
which had arrived from Rostock and was
berthed with about 130 passengers
onboard.

Viking
Line hit by data breach

Viking
Line has confirmed a data breach
affecting customer information after a
security incident at one of its
third-party suppliers. The breach,
discovered earlier this week, occurred
via a subcontractor handling pre-order
services for onboard purchases and
reservations.

According
to reports from Finnish media
including Yle, Iltalehti, and
Hufvudstadsbladet, leaked data
includes details related to advance
bookings and possibly passenger
personal information.

DFDS
February volumes

In
February 2026, DFDS saw RoPax
passenger numbers drop 23.3% to
181,000 year-on-year (adjusted for
route changes), driven by poor weather
and reduced departures across Europe.
The 12-month total fell 22.4% to 5.1
million (5.8% adjusted). Freight
volumes rose 3.0% to 3.5 million
lanemetres (+1.6% adjusted), with
growth in most regions. Rolling
12-month freight edged up 0.6% to 41.6
million (-1.3% adjusted).

Port
of Turku to build a system that
streamlines departures and peak
periods

The
Port of Turku’s new passenger
terminal is taking a digital leap as
a modern passenger and traffic
management system is being built for
the area. Following a competitive
tendering process, the Turku-based
software company Weasel Software has
been selected as the provider and
will be responsible for delivering
and commissioning the system.

EU
maritime strategies include
civil-military dual-use of ferries

The
European Commission has adopted a
comprehensive Industrial Maritime
Strategy to drive competitiveness,
innovation and technological
leadership in Europe’s maritime
manufacturing and shipping industries.
The Strategy sets out a vision and
concrete actions to reinforce Europe’s
industrial sovereignty, not least with
a focus on EU shipbuilding and
shipping as vital industries for the
Union’s strategic autonomy.

MIMER
continues in the Mediterranean

The
1,032 lanemetre RoRo vessel MIMER
completed a five-month time charter to
Midline Shipping in December last
year. Midline Shipping, a Dubai-based
company, entered the Mediterranean
RoRo shortsea market in 2025 with a
route between Misurata/Benghazi in
Libya and Chioggia, near Venice in
northern Italy.

MOL
Sunflower includes Miyazaki on their
Tokyo-Kanda route

A new
scheduled RoRo freight service with a
stop-over in Miyazaki Port on an
existing route connecting Tokyo and
Kanda has officially been launched by
MOL Sunflower. The shortsea route is
operated by the 1,920 lanemetre RoRo
MUSASHI MARU and the RoPax SUNFLOWER
DAISETSU with a similar freight
capacity. SUNFLOWER DAISETSU has a
passenger capacity of 154 which is not
utilized on the route.

Alfa
Laval completes Factory Acceptance
Test for FCM Ammonia, confirming
commercial readiness for
ammonia-fuelled engines

Alfa
Laval has successfully completed the
certified Factory Acceptance Test
(FAT) for FCM Ammonia fuel supply
system, class certified by China
Classification Society (CCS). The
milestone confirms that the fuel
supply system has passed all
functional and safety verification
procedures in accordance with the
required standards, demonstrating that
it is engineered and tested for safe
integration into an ammonia-fuelled
two-stroke engine environment.

GLEN
SANNOX to receive new propellers

CalMac
Ferries’ ferry GLEN SANNOX, which is
only just under one and a half years
old and was delivered with more than
six years’ delay from the shipyard
Ferguson Marine Engineering, returned
to service on 9 March on the
Troon–Brodick route after a four-month
shipyard stay.

New
report points to great potential for
electrification of ferries in Europe

T&E,
the European umbrella for
non-governmental organisations working
in the field of transport and the
environment, assesses in their newly
published report “Full Charge ahead:
Investigating the potential to
electrify Europe’s ferries” that more
than half of EU ferries could be
electrified and be cost-competitive
with fossil-powered ferries by 2035.

Bio-LNG
provided significant emissions
reductions for TT-Line

TT-Line
has revealed that, working closely
with Everllence PrimeServ Germany, its
RoPax vessels NILS HOLGERSSON and
PETER PAN successfully operated on
bio-LNG throughout 2025, achieving
significant emissions reductions.

Gotlandsbolaget
2025 financial results

The
Group’s revenue increased
significantly, from SEK 2,622.0
million in 2024 to SEK 3,744.6 million
in 2025, while adjusted operating
profit for the year was SEK 35.3
million, compared to SEK 218.2 million
in 2024.

Brittany
Ferries acquires SAINT-MALO and
GUILLAUME DE NORMANDIE from Stena
RoRo

Brittany
Ferries has confirmed the acquisition
of the two E-Flexer hybrid vessels,
SAINT-MALO and GUILLAUME DE NORMANDIE.
The purchase follows a long-term
partnership with Stena RoRo and was
supported by the local authorities of
Brittany and Normandy, the Caisse des
Dépôts, and the Crédit Agricole Group.

February
was a record month for Wasaline

Wasaline
reports its best February since
operations began in 2013. A total of
18,191 passengers travelled with the
company during the month, representing
an 11 percent increase compared with
the same period last year.

CM
HONG KONG was the first ship to
bunker green methanol in Hong Kong

Hong
Kong has taken an important step in
maritime decarbonization. On 5 March
2026, the methanol dual fuel CM HONG
KONG successfully completed the port’s
first green methanol bunkering
operation, receiving about 500 tonnes
of certified green methanol via a
ship-to-ship transfer.

Italy
designates three new Motorways of
the Seas

Italy’s
Sea Modal Shift programme, previously
known as Marebonus, has approved three
new Italian Motorways of the Sea
applications for routes that can
contribute to the EU-programme’s goal
of shifting freight transport from the
road network to sea-based corridors.

THE
BALTIC WHALE has now been put into
operation

Scandlines
has put its new ferry, THE BALTIC
WHALE, into operation on the
Rødby–Puttgarden route. The ferry
marks an important step toward the
company’s long-term goal of operating
without direct emissions by 2040,
while also increasing capacity for
freight customers.

Triple
ceremony for Fincantieri and Explora
Journeys at Sestri Ponente

Fincantieri
and Explora Journeys marked three
milestones at the Sestri Ponente
shipyard. The shipbuilding company and
the European luxury ocean travel brand
from the MSC Group launched EXPLORA
IV, held the coin ceremony for EXPLORA
V, and started construction on EXPLORA
VI.

Coast
guard vessel hit ECKERÖ

A
medium sized vessel from the Swedish
Coast Guard, KBV 202, hit Eckerö
Line’s ferry ECKERÖ at around 10:00
a.m. on 4 March, while the ferry was
berthed in Grisslehamn. The allision
caused damage to the hull above the
waterline of ECKERÖ, forcing the ferry
to remain out of service for the rest
of the day.

Harsh
winter weather delayed Torghatten
newbuildings sea trials

The
yard number B620/1, TBN: BJARKØY – a
hybrid electric ferry built at
Remontowa Shipbuilding for the
Norwegian shipowner Torghatten Nord,
has commenced sea trials. The ferry
had been ready to set sail for sea
trials since mid-January 2026.
However, the start of sea trials was
delayed by unfavourable weather
conditions and a permanent ice cover
on the harbour channel reaching up to
50 cm locally.

New
ferry setup on the Lysefjord to be
introduced in May

On 15
May, Rødne Fjord Cruise will deploy
the 1997-built ferry PETTER DASS,
which can carry 299 passengers and 50
cars, on the route between Lauvvik and
Lysebotn at the end of the Lysefjord
in Norway. This follows the award of a
new 10-year contract with the public
transport company Kolumbus and the
Rogaland County municipality.

Vehicle
deck fire on board GOLDEN BRIDGE

On the
morning of 6 March at 5:00 a.m., a
fire broke out in a truck tractor on
the vehicle deck of A-Ships
Management’s GOLDEN BRIDGE, currently
on a long-term charter to GNV. The
26,526 GT ferry, carrying 169
passengers and 46 crew members, was at
the time about 50 nautical miles off
Palma de Mallorca, where it was
sailing from Barcelona.

SPIRIT
OF TASMANIA V is now on its way to
Australia

TT-Line
Tasmania’s SPIRIT OF TASMANIA V began
its voyage down under on 7 March from
Leith in Scotland to Tasmania, with
its first stop in Gibraltar. SPIRIT OF
TASMANIA V is the last of two 48,000
GT RoPax ferries built by Rauma Marine
Construction in Finland.

Tersan
Havyard signs a contract with Fjord1

Fjord1
has contracted Tersan Havyard to
convert three ferries to hybrid
electric operation. The project
includes the two 2016-built sisters
LOSNA and HORNELEN, and the 2001-built
NORDFJORD, which will be upgraded to
meet new requirements for upcoming
connections.

Veteran
AF FRANCESCA sent to breakers

Adria
Ferries has sold its veteran RoPax
ferry AF FRANCESCA for recycling at
the shipbreaking yard in Aliaga,
Turkey. The 1979-built ship,
originally launched as DOMIZIANA for
Tirrenia di Navigazione, departed
Durres, Albania, on 28 February 2026,
on its final voyage.

Brittany
Ferries and Islands Unlimited join
forces to offer new passenger ferry
link between Guernsey and Jersey

Brittany
Ferries and Channel Islands-based
ferry operator Islands Unlimited have
joined forces to operate a new
inter-island passenger ferry service
between Guernsey and Jersey. The
service started in early March.

Gosport
Ferry sold to the parent company of
Uber Boat by Thames Clipper

The
famous Gosport Ferry service, which
has provided daily passenger services
across Portsmouth Harbour, between
Gosport and Portsea for over 100
years, has new owners. The ferry
company’s existing owners, the FIH
Group (formerly the Falklands Islands
Group) has sold the business to the
parent company of Uber Boat by Thames
Clipper – Collins River Enterprises,
for GBP 11.6 million.

Corsica
Linea purchase KALLISTE from La
Méridionale

Corsica
Linea has finalized the purchase of
the RoPax ferry KALLISTE from La
Méridionale. The vessel, previously at
risk of being scrapped in Turkey, will
be renamed CAPU DI MARU—after a scenic
headland overlooking the Gulf of
Ajaccio—and integrated into Corsica
Linea’s operations following refit
works.

Brittany
Ferries strengthens its
Cherbourg-Rosslare route in Ireland
with charter of NORBAY

Brittany
Ferries announces the entry into the
fleet of the RoRo vessel NORBAY, which
will strengthen the Cherbourg–Rosslare
route from March 2026.

New
Sorrento Ferry Terminal opened for
Searoad Ferries

After
10 years of planning and a AUD 25
million private investment, Searoad
Ferries opened its new Sorrento Ferry
Terminal on 6 March 2026. Constructed
entirely on pylons over Port Phillip
Bay, the landmark terminal is one of
Australia’s only permanent buildings
built fully over water. Designed
by F2Architect and delivered by Maben
Group, the project reimagines the
ferry experience between the
Mornington and Bellarine Peninsulas.

Fincantieri
delivers NORWEGIAN LUNA in Marghera

Fincantieri
and Norwegian Cruise Line celebrated
the delivery at the Marghera (Venice)
shipyard of NORWEGIAN LUNA, the second
ship of the expanded Prima Plus Class
that Fincantieri is building for the
ship owner.