SSG No 10 - Shipgaz

Scandlines sale on square one
ssg-ringkøbing. The sale of Scandlines is
facing yet another obstacle as the potential
buyers have declared that they will not
share the purchase with the others.
The Danish Ministry of Transport,
which holds 50 per cent of the shares, had
worked out a compromise between UKbased
3i and German-based Baltic Ferry
Development and Allianza to buy Scandlines
on a 40/40/20 basis. After four
months of negotiations, the buyers have
turned down this proposal. None of them
Study: Emission trading
beneficial for the environment
ssg-göteborg. An emissions trading system
for the Baltic Sea and the North Sea
would reduce the environmental impact by
several hundred tons of sulphur and nitrogen
oxides per year.
Low cost
According to a study carried out by the
Swedish Maritime Administration, the
Swedish Energy Agency, the Swedish
Environmental Protection Agency and
the Swedish Institute for Transport and
Communications Analysis on behalf of
the Government, the reduction could
also be achieved at a comparatively very
low cost.
The study shows that it is possible to
handle and administer a trading system.
Two models have been studied, one internal
model for the shipping industry and
one where sea and land can be linked.
Stena profit up 75 per cent
ssg-göteborg. The Stena Sphere, one of
Sweden’s largest privately owned industry
groups, reports a SEK 5.6 billion pre-tax
profit for 2006, an increase by almost 75
per cent compared to 2005. Revenues rose
by 14 per cent to SEK 45.8 billion. Stena
Drilling turned a small loss in 2005, to a
SEK 1.8 billion profit. The shipping investment
portfolio includes SEK 14 billion for
three drillships and orders for ferries and
tankers worth SEK six billion.
The Stena sphere owning family will
receive a SEK 630 million dividend.
PÄR-HENRIK SJÖSTRÖM
wants to give in to the other and none of
them wants to be the small partner in the
joint venture. So the sale of Scandlines is
more or less back at square one.
Heads leaving
Scandlines changed CEO on May 1, when
John Steen-Mikkelsen took over. Also on
May 1, Scandlines’ head of information
and spokesman Gert Jakobsen left Scandlines
for a similar position within the
DFDS Group.
Danish pilot strike avoided
ssg-ringkøbing. A strike by Danish pilots
has been avoided. Negotiations were in
progress and there was a risk of conflict,
but a mutual agreement was signed on
May 8 with the Ministry of Defence and
Maritime Leader, the union for the 130
Danish pilots.
The agreement is the first ever. Before
then, the Ministry of Defence had dictated
the salaries and working hours for pilots.
“It’s really a landmark”, says Frits
Ganzhorn, Maritime Leader, about the
agreement.
NEWS REVIEW
The new look of Sundbussarna.
SUNDBUSSARNA CHANGES NAME
The name Sundbussarna will disappear
during the summer and be replaced by
a new brand for the fast crossing from
Helsingør to Helsingborg. Sundbussarna
will change its name to ACE-link
and will be painted in a blue and white
hull and superstructure.
The name ACE comes from the first
letters in the owner’s name: Axel
Camillo Eitzen.
LOWER PROFIT FOR BROSTRÖM The
first quarter started of weakly in
Broström’s freight market, but imroved
gradually. The quarterly result was also
hit by storms and strikes in some European
ports.
The company posted a SEK 151 million
profit after tax, compared with
SEK 256 million for the same period
last year. The outlook, however, continues
to be favourable.
NEW FINLAND–POLAND SERVICE
Meriaura in Åbo is developing a new
liner service with conventional tonnage
between Åbo/Kotka and Szczecin. The
intention is to attract the marginal
goods flows that are not suitable for
roro-carriers.
Initially, Meriaura’s MD Matti-
Mikael Koskinen is calculating with
one departure every second or third
week, but the aim is to increase the frequency
in the future.
SAFETY MEETING IN COPENHAGEN
Denmark and Copenhagen will host
the next meeting of IMO’s Maritime
Safety Committee (MSC). It will take
place on 3–12 October.
The Maritime Safety Committee is
considered to be one of the most
important committees in the IMO and
according to DMA, a meeting in
Copenhagen will give extra credit to
Denmark’s work in IMO and the country’s
effort to become the leading maritime
nation in Europe.
SCANDINAVIAN SHIPPING GAZETTE • MAY 21, 2007 87