Brittany Ferries New Ship

Started by Cillian, June 23, 2017, 07:43:58 AM

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Cillian

Brittany Ferries Honfleur – order confirmed for a new ship

Brittany Ferries is delighted to confirm the construction of a new cruise ferry to join its 10-ship fleet. The new craft will be named Honfleur, following a long tradition naming ships after beautiful destinations served by the company.

Honfleur promises to be the most environmentally friendly ship regularly operating in UK waters when she takes to the seas in June 2019. But she will also be a ship that presents a canvas of modernity, comfort and relaxation for passengers on the company's busiest route, operating from Portsmouth to Caen.

Honfleur will be built at the Flensburger Schiffbau shipyard in Germany over the next two years and will be powered by LNG (liquefied natural gas). Compared with diesel fuel, LNG emits less carbon dioxide during combustion and burns with no smoke. It is entirely free of sulphur and produces very low emissions of nitrogen oxide and particulate matter.

She will carry up to 1,680 passengers and will come with 257 cabins, two cinemas, restaurants, boutique shopping and expansive passenger lounges. Honfleur will operate alongside Brittany Ferries' Mont St Michel on three daily return sailings. Normandie, the cruise-ferry she replaces, will move east to serve the Portsmouth to Le Havre route.

Jean-Marc Roué, Brittany Ferries president said: "The significant investment we are making reflects our on-going commitment to developing the regions in which we operate, to linking people and to reducing the environmental impact of our ships. Despite the challenges of Brexit we remain confident in the future and our first new ship since the delivery of Armorique in 2009, with a budget of around £175m, underlines this resolve."

Honfleur represents the next step in Brittany Ferries' drive towards the future of sustainable transport. The move to LNG follows a €90 million investment in sulphur and particulate-reducing 'scrubber' technology. These exhaust emission systems have been retrospectively fitted to six Brittany Ferries ships over the last 18 months, in a project supported by around £5m in joint funding from the EU and its executive agency INEA – and the ADEME in France.






Passenger areas:

Christophe Mathieu CEO of Brittany Ferries said: "It is important that we invest in new technologies and new vessels that respect the environment in which we operate. Equally, we must not forget that our customers expect Brittany Ferries ships to be comfortable, relaxing and adapted to the digital age. These objectives are compatible and I believe Honfleur will set a new standard for ferries operating on the Channel."

Passenger spaces will come with a range of digital innovations, but Honfleur's design will embrace principles that define every Brittany Ferries ship: wellness, culture and relaxation.

1,000 original works of art are hosted on ships in the fleet and Honfleur will continue to this tradition, exhibiting works by regional artists.

Two dining options will be on the menu: a full-service à la carte restaurant and self-service facility. Ingredients will be sourced locally and dishes prepared on board will be of the highest quality. There will also be a cafe and of course a bar.

A brace of cinemas will screen the latest films and fashion and technology will be sold in boutiques on board. Children will be well served too: Honfleur promises play areas and digital spaces and even the opportunity to be captain of the ship, driving Honfleur on a big screen.

WiFi has been confirmed in all public spaces, cabins, exterior decks and car decks, a first for Brittany Ferries. Every cabin will also come with a TV. Front and rear cameras will allow passengers to follow the progress of the ship on screen.

Her information desk will be fully adapted to the digital age. Designed to simplify communication, it will provide passengers with information about their destination and the vessel, as well as allowing them to book future crossings. Large screens will present, for example, services available on board, places to visit on arrival at a destination and connection times.

Technical specifications:

Length                        187.4 metres
Breadth                      31 metres
Max Draught              6.6 metres
Tonnage                     42,400 gross tonnes
Speed                          22 knots
Decks                          11
Passengers                 1,680
Passenger cabins       257
Passenger areas        5,200 m2
Vehicle capacity         2,600 lane metres (130 freight trailers, or 550 cars and 64 freight trailers)

marthyrarth

Can't see anything revolutionary considering the Normandie entered service in the early 1990's.

Passenger accommodation doesn't look very large and outside decks are limited.

Looks like the Normandie when introduced would be far more pioneering.

TC

Appears to have lower freight capacity than Pride of Rotterdam, which was built in 2001, and only 500 more lanemeters than Norbank and Norbay - two ships built in the early 90s.

PaddyL

Quote from: TC on June 26, 2017, 08:18:44 PM
Appears to have lower freight capacity than Pride of Rotterdam, which was built in 2001, and only 500 more lanemeters than Norbank and Norbay - two ships built in the early 90s.

Surely its the right capacity for the route though?

TC

I would say it is sufficient, but its rather strange that a company would go to the trouble and cost of opting for a new build, with such low capacity. I would have thought it more cost-effective to convert Stena Baltica (on charter from BF) to LNG and extend the passenger accommodation in a similar fashion to Pride of Canterbury / Kent. The vessel could be lengthened to boost the capacity to 2600LM or slightly above.

PaddyL

Quote from: TC on June 27, 2017, 12:14:18 PM
I would say it is sufficient, but its rather strange that a company would go to the trouble and cost of opting for a new build, with such low capacity. I would have thought it more cost-effective to convert Stena Baltica (on charter from BF) to LNG and extend the passenger accommodation in a similar fashion to Pride of Canterbury / Kent. The vessel could be lengthened to boost the capacity to 2600LM or slightly above.

Surely the cost of converting a 10-year old ship to that extent means the current plan is more viable?

TC

Even if they didn't lengthen her, she still has 2200 lane meters. P&O of course did choose to convert the Pride of Canterbury and Pride of Kent, which was cheaper than building from scratch. BF are going with a rather pricey German yard, so I would have thought converting an existing vessel would be the better option. Pride of Kent / European Highway was 10 years old when she was converted, so I dont think age is an issue. Just my observation. If BF desperately want a new build, I would have thought South Korea was the place to go. Stena Adventurer and DFDS's Korean ships seem to have quite a reasonable track record, and I imagine they cost half what P&O paid for the Spirits.

Steven

It is my understanding that the design borrows heavily from those done by STX/Aker (on an FSG hull).  All is not as well as you'd think in South Korean ship building, and perhaps it was considered a risk.  In any case, its already a bit controversial for BF to build outside of France again (though France wasn't an option due to the inavailability of space), so taking the order outside of Europe would be even more so.  FSG have an enviable reputation for delivering on time and budget, and elements of the order will also be subcontracted out around Europe.  Cheap isn't always the best option either, neither is building a vessel with a lot of capacity that won't ever be used!

Quote from: PaddyL on June 27, 2017, 05:35:39 PM
Quote from: TC on June 27, 2017, 12:14:18 PM
I would say it is sufficient, but its rather strange that a company would go to the trouble and cost of opting for a new build, with such low capacity. I would have thought it more cost-effective to convert Stena Baltica (on charter from BF) to LNG and extend the passenger accommodation in a similar fashion to Pride of Canterbury / Kent. The vessel could be lengthened to boost the capacity to 2600LM or slightly above.

Surely the cost of converting a 10-year old ship to that extent means the current plan is more viable?
Have to say I agree with Paddy here. We should also bear in mind that BF seem happy with the rate they are getting from Stena for Baltica.  I would imagine financing a conversion versus a new build would look very different as well.
Steve in Belfast (suburbia)

Flickr: www.flickr.com/tarbyonline

TC

#8
Stena seems to be taking the plunge ordering five ships from a Chinese yard, and Destination Gotland opted for a Chinese yard. Regards the conversion option, yes you are right about the charter rates, but if P&O converted the European Highway and European Pathway, I imagine they did it because it was cheaper than building from scratch. Stena Baltica was designed with this option included.

hhvferry

The logistics of building in a different continent with a whole raft of senior personnel being based for months on end near a distant shipyard is in its own right costly and disruptive for smaller companies like BF who don't have a specific newbuilding division. Never mind the inherent risks of building at a less experienced yard. It becomes a much more marginal decision when the disruption and additional costs are factored in.

Stena have business divisions who specialise in this sort of thing and Destination Gotland are a special case, being a risk-taking, essentially family-owned business who subcontract almost everything they do on the newbuilding side to Knud E Hansen.

As for capacity - like Mont St Michel over Normandie the new vessel is a step up in freight capacity, reflecting the needs of the route. Why would BF build a Pride of Rotterdam sized ship for a route which doesn't need it? It's a route where each ship does three sailings a day so carries considerably more traffic each day than the P&O North Sea ships which have lengthy turnarounds and don't deposit their traffic at one end into a seaside resort. Spending money on building and then lugging around empty space is a quick way to lose money.

Conversions aren't easy either - is the Stena Baltica's hull strong enough to cope with accommodation modules bolted on? The Armorique is the same hull design but doesn't have an upper freight deck and BF don't really have a tradition of over-engineering their ships to enable significant future conversion.

Steven

Quote from: TC on June 29, 2017, 07:50:17 PM
Stena seems to be taking the plunge ordering five ships from a Chinese yard, and Destination Gotland opted for a Chinese yard. Regards the conversion option, yes you are right about the charter rates, but if P&O converted the European Highway and European Pathway, I imagine they did it because it was cheaper than building from scratch. Stena Baltica was designed with this option included.
Of course P&O also had thevery different problem of having 3 freighters which were pretty much useless to anyone - just look at the trouble they have had finding work for Seaway over the years!
Steve in Belfast (suburbia)

Flickr: www.flickr.com/tarbyonline

Collision-course

Quote from: hhvferry on June 30, 2017, 12:53:48 AM
The logistics of building in a different continent with a whole raft of senior personnel being based for months on end near a distant shipyard is in its own right costly and disruptive for smaller companies like BF who don't have a specific newbuilding division. Never mind the inherent risks of building at a less experienced yard. It becomes a much more marginal decision when the disruption and additional costs are factored in.

Stena have business divisions who specialise in this sort of thing and Destination Gotland are a special case, being a risk-taking, essentially family-owned business who subcontract almost everything they do on the newbuilding side to Knud E Hansen.

As for capacity - like Mont St Michel over Normandie the new vessel is a step up in freight capacity, reflecting the needs of the route. Why would BF build a Pride of Rotterdam sized ship for a route which doesn't need it? It's a route where each ship does three sailings a day so carries considerably more traffic each day than the P&O North Sea ships which have lengthy turnarounds and don't deposit their traffic at one end into a seaside resort. Spending money on building and then lugging around empty space is a quick way to lose money.

Conversions aren't easy either - is the Stena Baltica's hull strong enough to cope with accommodation modules bolted on? The Armorique is the same hull design but doesn't have an upper freight deck and BF don't really have a tradition of over-engineering their ships to enable significant future conversion.
Stena Baltica can indeed be modified to the same spec as Armorique, it was designed to be extended at some stage in its career if needed and blueprints for the extensions/modifications exist, however given that the ship is currently gainfully employed with a large stable company who are prompt in paying their bills there is no reason to withdraw from that work, and the ship may find its way back on to Brittany Ferries work at some stage in the future.
Brittany Ferries have at least two ships that are approaching the end of their useful lives, and two more that may struggle with future emissions standards, given the absence of modern tonnage on the secondhand market a newbuild (with a few more in mind) is the best option under current market conditions.

Steven

Given Stena Baltica is not exactly a new vessel anymore, I'd question whether it would be financially sensible to undertake such a conversion.  Especially when a brand new vessel can be sourced from the Far-East for a reasonable amount (through Stena).  The prime candidate to be replaced by a rebuilt Stena Baltica would have been Baie de Seine.  It is already confirmed that she will be replaced by a Stena E-Flexer - designed to be one of the most efficient RoPax's in the world and easily converted to run on LNG (or Methanol) if required. 

As for the comments about the capacity of Honfleur, part of the reason for Brittany Ferries success has been they acquire the right vessels for their routes.  Its all very well saying they could have got a higher capacity vessel for less, but would it have been as suitable for their operations?

Steve in Belfast (suburbia)

Flickr: www.flickr.com/tarbyonline

Matt73

More details about the charter of one of Stena's e-flexers.

Five-year bareboat charter with option to purchase.

Number three of the series, delivery autumn 2020.

To be fittted with scrubbers.

Retaining the designed number of lane metres but to have more cabins installed.

Interior to BF's specification but unclear who will design it.

There will be a hiatus between departure of Baie de Seine and delivery, so unclear what stop-gap ship will be used. Thought to be Etretat, also chartered from Stena RO/RO.

Matt

https://www.shippax.com/en/news/brittany-ferries-confirms-charter-of-chinese-built-e-flexer-from-stena.aspx?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Shippax%20News%20Bulletin%20–%2034&utm_term=READ%20THE%20FULL%20ARTICLE

Steven

Quote from: Matt73 on August 25, 2017, 12:12:52 PM
More details about the charter of one of Stena's e-flexers.

Five-year bareboat charter with option to purchase.

Number three of the series, delivery autumn 2020.

To be fittted with scrubbers.

Retaining the designed number of lane metres but to have more cabins installed.

Interior to BF's specification but unclear who will design it.

There will be a hiatus between departure of Baie de Seine and delivery, so unclear what stop-gap ship will be used. Thought to be Etretat, also chartered from Stena RO/RO.

Matt

https://www.shippax.com/en/news/brittany-ferries-confirms-charter-of-chinese-built-e-flexer-from-stena.aspx?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Shippax%20News%20Bulletin%20–%2034&utm_term=READ%20THE%20FULL%20ARTICLE

More speculation on the part of Shippax, regarding ETRETAT.  I thought the Brittany Ferries HONFLEUR press release was pretty clear.  I'll highlight the relevant section :)

QuoteAlmost exactly a year after the Brexit vote, Brittany Ferries has confirmed the order for a new LNG cruise ferry with a budget of around £175m. It will operate on the company's busiest route from Portsmouth to Caen with a planned arrival in spring 2019 – as Brexit negotiations move towards completion.

The new ship will be named Honfleur after the charming seaside destination on the Seine estuary in Normandy. First details have been revealed today after contracts were signed with the Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellshaft shipyard in Germany.

She will be powered by LNG (liquefied natural gas) and promises to be the most environmentally-friendly vessel operating on the English Channel. LNG emits less carbon dioxide than diesel following combustion and burns with no smoke. It is entirely free of sulphur and produces very low emissions of nitrogen oxide and particulate matter.

In LNG-electric propulsion, four engines feed electric generators and two electric propulsion motors. This quieter and more efficient form of power delivery reduces vibration, meaning an even smoother ride for passengers.

Christophe Mathieu CEO of Brittany Ferries said:   "It is important that we invest in new technologies and new vessels that respect the environment in which we operate. Equally, we must not forget that our customers expect Brittany Ferries ships to be comfortable, relaxing and adapted to the digital age. These objectives are compatible and I believe Honfleur will set a new standard for ferries operating on the Channel."

Innovation goes beyond the powertrain. Every aspect of Honfleur's interior has been carefully considered with the digital age in mind. Free Wi-Fi will come as standard in all cabins and public spaces, and a digital information lounge will serve as her focal point. Quiet lounges, panoramic views and reading areas will complement cabins designed to sooth and reflect the unique ambience of a short voyage by sea.

"This is a ship that has been truly designed with the customer at heart and Honfleur will be the first full-service cruise ferry to embrace the digital age," added Mike Bevens Brittany Ferries commercial director. "She will reaffirm our position as a class-leading operator thanks to LNG propulsion and an interior that has been carefully considered to meet the needs of everyone. It's a huge step forward for us, a clear statement of our intent for the future and a reassuring signal for our customers, 8 in 10 of whom are British."

Brittany Ferries believes a journey by sea should be the richest way to travel. Honfleur will therefore offer a top-class, à la carte restaurant serving locally sourced meals prepared by French chefs on board.

Her digital information lounge will present inspiration for future visits on big screens, revealing the richness and variety of holiday destinations around the coastline of the European west, as well as information on current destinations for passengers. They will be able to research things like connection times, view recommendations suggested by other passengers and find out more about services on board.

In addition to the à la carte restaurant, Honfleur will host a self-service facility, café and bar serving light snacks. Two cinemas have been included in the design, alongside other areas designed to keep children and teenagers entertained. Like other ships in the fleet, she will feature boutique shopping and showcase original works of art by local artists.

Upon Honfleur's arrival, Brittany Ferries' cruise-ferry Normandie will move east to serve the Portsmouth-Le Havre route.
https://brittanyferriesnewsroom.com/a-year-after-brexit-vote-brittany-ferries-confirms-lng-cross-channel-ferry-order/
Steve in Belfast (suburbia)

Flickr: www.flickr.com/tarbyonline