This page contains a Flash digital edition of a book.
2 >> 1


Issue 1 2014 Freight Business Journal Britanny goes for gas


marine fuel oil and burns with no smoke. It is


entirely free of sulphur and is very low in nitrogen oxide emissions. Providing suitable bunkering


(fuelling) facilities has also been another objection to LNG, but in the short term Britanny will fuel the new ship from a barge, until such time as a permanent facility can be opened. The vessel will be able to carry enough LNG for two roundtrips to Spain, and is also capable of operating on diesel in emergency, so only one bunkering facility would be needed. Britanny has also indicated that it would be willing to share its LNG


fuelling facilities with other vessel operators, although, apart from Portsmouth, it is the virtually the sole operator in many of the ports it serves. Simon Wagstaff added that


Britanny was also considering conversion of other ships in its fleet to LNG as part of its strategy for the new emissions rules, along with fitting scrubbers or using diesel. The latter however is considered the most expensive option in terms of daily running costs. The new LNG ferry will carry a


small stock of diesel on board and will occasionally run on that fuel as diesel deteriorates if it is stored for too long.


Brittany Ferries and STX France


have been co-operating for two years on a study for the LNG ferry. Compared with the Pont-Aven,


the new LNG ship will have a much larger vehicle capacity, as well as the latest passenger comforts such as free Wi-Fi throughout the ship. Simon Wagstaff, commented:


“This order represents a huge investment and a long-term commitment by Brittany Ferries to its highly successful services to Santander and Bilbao. Furthermore, the range and quality of facilities provided for freight drivers will set Brittany Ferries apart from its competitors.” Back to the 70s, warns DFDS, p. 07


Eurotunnel ferry line lives on


A UK Competition Appeal Tribunal has thrown out an earlier decision by the Competition Commission to ban Eurotunnel subsidiary MyFerryLink from operating on the Dover-Calais route. The CC had ruled in June 2013 that Eurotunnel’s MyFerryLink amounted to unfair competition, but held back from banning the service for six months, pending the outcome of the appeal. Jacques Gounon, chairman


and CEO of Groupe Eurotunnel, which took over


three ferries


from bankrupt French Railways subsidiary SeaFrance, welcomed the result of the appeal, saying: “This is a victory for the consumer. We are delighted by the Competition Appeal Tribunal’s decision which recognises the benefits and practicalities of our presence in the maritime cross-Channel market.” Subsequently, the 6 January


deadline for appeals against the the UK Competition Appeal Tribunal’s


judgement passed,


with no such appeal having been received. The Competition Commission


must now reconsider whether or not the transaction was a transfer of


a business. Its provisional


findings are expected in late February 2014 and the target date for a decision is end-April 2014.


///NEWS


LD Lines adds Ireland/Spain and new link to Gijón


French ferry operator LD Lines is introducing a new weekly service between Poole and the Spanish port of Gijón from 5 January and another between Rosslare in Ireland via St Nazaire in Western France and on to Gijón. There will be a two-ship operation using the Norman Asturias and sister ship Scintu. The new England/Spain


service departs Poole for Gijón on Tuesdays at 12:00 midday and returns from the Spanish port on Fridays at 13:00. The Rosslare service


departs Fridays 21:00 via


to Gijón St


Nazaire with return from Spain on Tuesdays 22:00, again via St Nazaire. It follows LD Line’s recently service


launched between


Poole and Santander, on which freight capacity ultilisation has risen to 90% since the start of the service in early November. CEO of LD Lines, Christophe


Santoni, said, “We are very pleased with the early response from hauliers to the new Poole – Santander service, which is a key addition to our existing route between France and Spain. The additional services will further expand our


Motorway of the Seas Atlantic network by providing improved transport links between the UK, Southern Ireland, Spain, France and Portugal and give new and existing


customers greater


choice.” LD Lines’ Poole – Santander


and Gijón services offer year- round guaranteed freight space and free parking in Poole for up to seven days before and after sailings.


The 2008/09-built


Norman Asturias and Scintu each have


capacity for 110


freight vehicles or 150 trailers and a commercial service speed of up to 24 knots.


Irish ferries enters Dublin/Continent market


Irish Ferries is to launch a new service from Cherbourg, France direct into the capital, Dublin from 18


January. The once-


weekly, year round service will depart from Dublin every Saturday (15.30) arriving into


A2B adds Thamesport-Moerdijk link


A new service has been introduced by


A2B-online,


the Dutch-based multimodal transport company,


between


London Thamesport and Moerdijk in the Netherlands. Starting on 28 January, it will offer three sailings a week on the 340teu MS Expansa. Moerdijk is seen by many


operators as a faster, more accessible alternative


to


Rotterdam, and it has good barge connections to other regional Dutch terminals as well as to Germany, Belgium and Luxembourg.


Thamesport meanwhile is rapidly developing as a short- sea specialist hub, with new services already started by the likes of MacAndrews. It belongs to Felixstowe owners, Hutchison Ports (UK). A2B-online already operates a similar service between Moerdijk and Immingham. Managing director Gerard de Groot, added: “Besides fast turnaround times at the terminal we need an efficient and effective ships operation as well; that is why we decided for London Thamesport.”


He also plans to step up frequency of the Thamesport


route to four times a week in about three months’ time.


Cherbourg next morning (11.30). Return sailings will depart Cherbourg each Sunday (17.00) with early arrival back in Dublin on Monday morning (11.00). The new route will be operated by the recently chartered, 2011-built


car and freight ferry mv Epsilon with


2,860 lane metres of


vehicle space. Irish Ferries already operate


direct services from Rosslare in the south of Ireland to Cherbourg and Roscoff.


Another service for London Gateway


German shipping line DAL says it can offer a service to North Africa and Turkey via its existing link on the SAECS service from London Gateway. Service is via Algeciras in southern Spain and is available to Agadir, Casablanca, Tangier, Tunis, Oran, Algiers, Izmir, Marport , Yilport and Mersin. Transit


times are very


competitive, it adds. Meanwhile, the first UK feeder


service has operated from DP World’s new London Gateway port, to PD Ports’ Teesport in north-east England. BG Freight


Line’s Cetus J departed London Gateway for Teesport on 28 December . PD Ports’ business development


director, Geoff Lippitt, said: “We are really pleased to see that the first feeder vessel to sail from London Gateway made Teesport its first port of call. One of the strengths of Teesport is the range and coverage of feeder services and we will continue to build on this and expand in the future.” A spokesman for BG Line


added: “This was a one off but you never know.”


Russia and Eastern Europe Daily land departures


to and from the UK www.logistics.dbschenker.co.uk FBJ Jan_2014_ 60_270mm.indd 1 22/01/2014 14:08:05


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32