Ropax News

On March 9, the IMO sub-committee on Ship Systems and Equipment convened for its 12th session (SSE12), and DNV reports that the action plan to evaluate the adequacy of fire protection, detection and extinction arrangements in vehicle, special category and ro-ro spaces was revised in order to reduce the fire risk of ships carrying new-energy vehicles.The group agreed to give priority to the development of the following guidelines before developing any draft amendments to SOLAS…

Scandlines has put its new ferry, The Baltic Whale, into service on the Rødby-Puttgarden route from Denmark to Germany.The ferry marks an important step towards the company’s long-term goal of sailing without direct emissions by 2040 and strengthening capacity for freight customers. The Baltic Whale is among the world’s largest ferries that can operate solely on shore-based electricity.The Baltic Whale has one of the world's largest battery systems on board a ferry and can operate without direct emissions during normal operation.

A fire onboard the Liberia-registered passenger vessel World Legacy while it was en route to Singapore has resulted in the death of one crew member.The incident occurred on February 20 at about 4:00am (Singapore Time). The fire was brought under control by the crew shortly after.The vessel is in a stable condition and is currently anchored at Raffles Reserved Anchorage.Singapore MPA patrol craft, the Police Coast Guard and the SCDF Marine Division are attending to the vessel.There were 388 crew members onboard and 224 passengers.

Wasaline has successfully completed sea trials following a major battery upgrade on board Aurora Botnia, which now features the largest battery capacity ever installed on a RoPax vessel worldwide.The vessel’s battery capacity has been expanded from 2.2 MWh to 12.6 MWh. The upgraded system has been approved for operation in traffic by DNV.The new batteries, supplied by marine battery manufacturer AYK Energy, can store nearly five times more energy than the previous battery packs…

KNUD E. HANSEN, a naval architecture and marine engineering consultancy, has announced a milestone in its ongoing collaboration with Ferry Holdings Limited. Following the successful signing of the shipbuilding contract with Guangzhou Shipyard International (GSI), two new RoPAX vessels will be built.These vessels are destined for service linking the North and South islands across New Zealand’s challenging Cook Strait and through the environmentally sensitive environs of the Tory Channel and Queen Charlotte Sound.

Silverstream Technologies will supply air lubrication systems for nine RoPax newbuildings contracted by the Grimaldi Group at China Merchants Industry Weihai Shipyard.The latest order, which includes four vessels for Grimaldi Lines, a pair for Minoan Lines and three ships for Finnlines, is the largest RoPax order awarded to Silverstream and builds on the 15 cumulative in-service years of its system's operation across the Grimaldi fleet.The Minoan Lines’ vessels are the first Greek…

MacGregor has been selected to supply cargo access solutions for nine new RoPax vessels as part of the Grimaldi Group’s major fleet renewal plan.This significant order includes cargo access equipment for three vessels for Finnlines, four for Grimaldi Euromed, and two for Minoan Lines. The vessels will be built at China Merchants Industry Weihai Shipyard Co.The order covers two different vessel designs, including three ships for Finnlines, with a capacity of 5,400 lane meters and 1…

Mercedes Pinto, the third 123-meter dual-fuel Ro-Pax fast ferry Incat Crowther designed for Spanish operator Baleària, has been launched by shipbuilder Astilleros Armon Gijon in Spain.Work on the vessel’s internal fit-out will now continue before sea trials in early 2026. The new vessel comes after the success of its twin vessels Eleanor Roosevelt and Margarita Salas, also built by Astilleros Armon Gijon.Capable of transporting 1,200 passengers and 425 vehicles, Mercedes Pinto…

Finnish marine engineering firm Deltamarin has signed a design and engineering contract with China Merchants Jinling Shipyard (Weihai) for six new RoPax vessels ordered by the Grimaldi Group.The agreement includes basic and detail design for the ‘Next Generation Med’ class vessels, which will be deployed across key Mediterranean routes under the Grimaldi Lines and Minoan Lines brands.Of the six vessels, four will sail under the Italian flag and be operated under the Grimaldi Lines brand…

The Grimaldi Group has commissioned the construction of nine ropax vessels from China Merchants Jinling Shipyard (Weihai), a China Merchants Group company. The deal is worth a total of $1.3 billion.The new ships have been designed to elevate the quality of maritime transport for both rolling cargo and passengers in the Mediterranean and the Baltic Sea. All nine will be equipped with engines capable of running on methanol.Four of the new vessels will sail under the Italian flag and be operated under the Grimaldi Lines brand…

The Baltic Sea's irst green freight corridor has been launched, allowing for the transportation of Felix ketchup to Finland with a 90% reduction in emissions. This initiative, a collaboration between Orkla Suomi, Scandic Trans, and Viking Line, features a scheduled freight service powered by biofuel.Since July, Felix ketchup, produced by the Orkla Group in Fågelmara, has been shipped to Finland using biofuels. The process begins at the largest ketchup factory in the Nordic region, where Scandic Trans trucks transport the product to Viking Line’s terminal in Stadsgården, Stockholm.

Despite stating that the transport of unweaned calves from Ireland to France is in breach of EU law, the European Commission has so far failed to take action against it, says Ethical Farming Ireland.In an audit report published in December 2023, the Commission claimed the journey was in breach of Regulation 1/2005 on the protection of animals during transport, as the calves are not being fed during the long ferry crossing to France. In most cases, these animals are left unfed for up to 30 hours…

Interferry Director of Regulatory Affairs Johan Roos has announced that the organization has drafted an alternative compliance mechanism to the CII that will be submitted to MEPC 82, to be held September 30 - October 4.CII is a shipping industry-specific operational efficiency requirement that dictates how much fuel is allowed to be burned per nautical mile in relation to ship type and ship size. “It follows the same illogical statistical approach as IMO’s Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) for new ships and the Energy Efficiency Existing Ship Index (EEXI)…

Stena RoRo announced it has ordered another two E-Flexer RoPax vessels from the Chinese shipyard CMI Jinling (Weihai), for delivery in 2027.This is Stena RoRo's fourteenth and fifteenth vessel in the E-Flexer series.The two vessels will enter service under long-term charter to Greek shipping company Attica Group for operations in the Adriatic Sea. Attica Group has an option to purchase the newbuilds and also a potential option for two more vessels.The E-Flexer series is based on a concept with larger vessels than today's standard RoPax ferries and is very flexible.

Sweden-based Echandia reports it has won its largest order to date, with a deal to supply battery systems to a Northern European ferry operator.The contract with an undisclosed customer involves converting two RoPax ferries to pure electric propulsion. It is Echandia's largest both in terms of value and system size. Delivery is planned for the second half of 2025, Echandia said.According to Echandia, its battery systems are designed to meet the customer's requirement for a 10-year lifespan…

Stena’s new Ro-Pax vessel, Ala’suinu, equipped with Wärtsilä propellers has received DNV’s Silent(E) notation, issued to vessels that demonstrate the ability to effectively reduce emissions of underwater radiated noise.Technology group Wärtsilä has designed and delivered controllable pitch propellers for Stena’s new Ro-Pax vessel, Ala’suinu, which has successfully completed sea trials.Following these sea trials, Ala’suinu became the first Ro-Pax vessel to fulfil the DNV Silent(E) notation…

Swedish ferry operator Stena Line on Monday announced changes to its management team amid a shift to a two-region structure in its Irish Sea operations, effective June 1, 2024. Paul Grant will assume responsibility as Trade Director for Irish Sea North, overseeing operations from Belfast. In addition, Grant will join the main board of Stena Line (UK) Ltd. and serve as Stena Line’s representative on the UK Chamber of Shipping Ferry & Cruise.Johan Edelman will take up the role of Trade Director for the Irish Sea South region, overseeing operations from Dublin and Rosslare.

Finnlines has turned to a innovative graphene-based hard foul release hull coating to reduce fuel consumption and emissions across its ro-ro and ro-pax fleets.After starting with its first vessel in 2022, the Finnish shipping company has already applied GIT Coatings' XGIT-FUEL low-friction hull coating to four vessels as part of a recently signed fleet agreement, reducing fuel consumption and emissions by around 7% compared to previously used coating.Over the past decade, Finnlines…

Manta Marine Technologies (formerly known as Yara Marine Technologies) has completed installation and commissioning of onboard shore power systems for three Finnlines vessels: the Finnlady, the Finnmaid and the Finnstar.The installations, onboard RINA-classed Finnlines RoPax vessels Finnstar, Finnmaid and Finnlady support Finnlines’ commitment to decarbonize itsfleet and reduce the environmental impact on shore-side communities.Thomas Doepel, Finnlines Deputy CEO Finnlines, said…

Stena RoRo and Caterpillar Motoren have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to promote the use of methanol as fuel on board MaK-powered E-flexer class ferries.The partners will work together to explore alternative fuel solutions to reduce CO2 emissions from ferry operations. This includes the development and feasibility of converting MaK-powered ferries from diesel to methanol. An initial pilot project involves a Stena ferry equipped with VM 43 C MaK engines.Methanol is among a number of fuels being explored as an option to help the maritime industry reduce its environmental footprint.

Stena RoRo announced it has taken delivery of the 10th vessel in its E-Flexer series from the CMI Jinling, Weihai Shipyard. The vessel, named Ala'suinu, will be on a long charter agreement with the Canadian state-owned Marine Atlantic and operate a ferry line in eastern Canada between Newfoundland and Nova Scotia.“We are very excited to welcome the Ala’suinu to our service,” says Gary O'Brien, Chair, Board of Directors, Marine Atlantic. “With a focus on reducing our environmental impact…

Merja Kallio-Mannila has been appointed as Head of Group Sales, Customer Service and Marketing as of January 1, 2024. Kallio-Mannila also continues as the Head of Sales and Customer Service Finland.Kallio-Mannila has been a member of Finnlines’ Executive Committee since January 2022. She joined Finnlines in 2001 and has since then held several key management positions, most recently as a Deputy Head of Group Sales, Customer Service and Marketing. She succeeds Staffan Herlin, who…

DFDS has completed its acquisition of FRS Iberia/Maroc, a short-sea ferry company connecting Spain and Morocco via the Strait of Gibraltar.“We are excited to start the integration of FRS Iberia/Maroc and look forward to applying our joint capabilities to grow the business while continuing to provide reliable, efficient ferry services to both passengers and freight customers,” said Torben Carlsen, CEO of DFDS.Reporting preliminary revenue of DKK 1.0bn for 2023, FRS Iberia/Maroc has three routes operated by a total of 850 staff of which just over 400 are own employees.