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Issue 4 2019 - Freight Business Journal


///RO-RO


Our ferry friends


The ro ro industry plays a vital role in keeping the country connected to the outside world. Operators of all sizes are investing in new tonnage to green their fl eets and ensure that capacity stays on top of demand.


Brittany Ferries is ready for Brexit


Brittany Ferries, along with DFDS was one of the two operators contracted by the Department for Transport to provide additional capacity on services to and from the UK in the wake of Brexit, in this case on its Poole/ Cherbourg, Plymouth/Roscoff , Portsmouth/Le Havre and Portsmouth/Caen routes. “We are doing so in most


cases by running additional sailings with existing tonnage on our existing route network,” explained group freight director, Simon Wagstaff . Brexit in the event was delayed


but the extra services actually started on 29 March, the original date for the UK’s exit from the European Union.


Wagstaff added: “Where we have changed our schedules to


accommodate the new services, we will not change back.”


Brittany Ferries meanwhile


has substantial new tonnage on order. The Honfl eur, currently being built in Germany, is expected at the end of 2019; the Galicia, the fi rst of the e-Flexer series, is being built in China with a delivery date of 2021, followed by the second e-Flexer, the Salamanca – due in 2022 and which will be LNG powered. A third unnamed LNG-powered e-Flexer is due for delivery in 2023. Meanwhile, Brittany Ferries’


freight traffi c is fairly stable, says Wagstaff , “although recent diffi culties in Calais with industrial action by customs staff has pushed business our way”, he adds.


Dedicated freight ferries are normally associated with longer sea crossings but Isle of Wight operator Red Funnel has just added a brand new truck-only vessel to its fl eet. Operations director Mark Slawson believes that the Red Kestrel is the fi rst freighter to Red Funnel for over 160 years, and certainly the fi rst in living memory. The reason that Red Funnel decided to add her to the fl eet


was quite simply: “We were running out of capacity. We are facing more freight and passenger demand and that meant that at busy times we were not able to carry all the passengers that we wanted to.” Passenger traffi c to the Isle of


Wight oſt en surges, during the summer and also during the Isle of Wight Festival. As Red Funnel also handles 53% of the freight market, the Red Kestrel will provide vital extra capacity. Red Funnel went through a


tender process and considered bids from builders as far afi eld as China, but the Cammell Laird yard in Birkenhead came back with the most


competitive


Economics drives ACL growth


Specialist transatlantic ro ro line ACL is benefi ting from a strengthening trend especially inbound into the US as the economy there continues to be extremely strong, says general manager for ro ro and special equipment in North America, Robert Willman. He adds: “We are seeing an


increase in the used ro ro cargo sectors for construction and


agricultural equipment cargoes to and from Europe.” The line’s new G4 vessels are


now fully integrated into the service between North America and Europe, “providing well- needed additional capacity.” Meanwhile, he continues, ACL


is developing EDI capabilities for all its ro ro freight, which should be available within the next year.


tender. The newest addition to the fl eet arrived in Southampton from Cammell Laird’s on 18 April. With Red Funnel wanting


the vessel in service in time for the following summer peak, the construction timetable was a demanding one, but the Merseyside shipbuilder was able to meet it and Red Kestrel was offi cially christened on 25 April. Karen George, wife of Red Funnel’s chairman,


Kevin George, did the honours, breaking the traditional bottle of champagne across the stern. She was accompanied by


the employment minister Alok Sharma who paid tribute to Red Funnel’s support for British craſt manship, jobs and the revival of shipbuilding in the UK. Testing of the new ferry and


training of staff is now under way, in time for its entry into service


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