A DANISH shipping company hoping to beat Condor to secure the tender for Jersey’s freight and passenger ferry services has stated its case to Islanders.
DFDS yesterday held an open meeting at the Radisson Blu Waterfront Hotel which was attended by representatives from a number of local businesses and other stakeholders seeking information about the operator and what it could offer the Channel Islands.
The meeting was held just months after the firm carried out berthing trials for its 163-metre-long freight ship, Finlandia Seaways.
The firm has also revealed plans for a hybrid-electric ferry that could be used to service routes to France from Jersey and Guernsey.
Both islands are trying to secure a new operating agreement for freight and passenger ferry services, with Condor’s current agreement due to end next year.
Condor’s interim chief executive, Christophe Mathieu, has stated that the operator is “determined to answer and win the tender” once it is published.
But speaking at yesterday’s event, DFDS vice-president Filip Werne Hermann said that his firm had a “huge fleet” which presented an “opportunity” for the Channel Islands from a contingency perspective.
Speaking to the JEP, he added: “We are the biggest ferry operator and logistics company in Europe and it’s fair to say that we have a very long track record in reliability and punctuality that we can leverage here.
“I can already say now that we have learned a lot about what Islanders and businesses want. I am sure we will learn a lot more in the coming days and the next step, for us, is to process all of this and prepare for the tender – which we will hopefully receive shortly.”
The firm also yesterday revealed that it had entered into an agreement with Tasmanian ferry manufacturer Incat to conduct a design study for a 72-metre-long hybrid vessel – with the option of converting it to a fully electric craft.
Voyager, which is currently used by Condor to serve the French route, is 97m long.
DFDS said that the hybrid-electric vessel could potentially accommodate both freight and passenger transport and be deployed on routes to and from the Channel Islands and France, should the operator be awarded the ferry contract.
Torben Carlsen, chief executive of DFDS, said: “The hybrid-electric ferry will be part of our vision for the future ferry solution for the Channel Islands.
“Electrification of short sea routes is the future, and with the design study we can fast-track the green transition, ushering in a new era of low-emission maritime transport.”
He continued: “This will not be easy. We need to ensure a sufficient power supply on land and infrastructure to accommodate recharging facilities in ports.
“But I am confident that we can work together with the ports, governments and communities on the Channel Islands to make this happen.”
