Using VesselsValue data, Dan Nash, Head of Ferry, VC and RoRo, explores the key trends in the Ferry sector. This article looks into freight demand, ageing fleets falling under pressure, and top Ferry companies and ship owning nations by value. You can read the full piece here.
“Looking at fleet development from Midsizes upwards, steady year-on-year net growth has been evident since 2016, up +1.47 mil GT (+13.2%) inclusive of 2022. The main catalyst is stronger demand for freight capacity, adding 116,285 Lane Meters (+16.2%). By contrast, passenger capacity firmed at a slower pace of +8.6%, at just over half the rate…” Read more.
“Almost a quarter of the fleet above >12,999 GT is 30 years of age or older comprising 109 vessels. This is high, and these would be prime candidates for demolition in most deepsea sectors. However, this is not the case for shortsea Ferries, especially for assets trading in main market Europe. Cruise type Ferries, for example, are known to operate into their forties and beyond on Baltic and Mediterranean corridors…” Read more.
“If the EU continues to push forward with a levy based approach to CO2 emissions, this spells trouble for smaller, less capitalised European shipowners. VesselsValue estimates c.23% of the fleet is exposed based on an average demolition age of 42. We could be approaching peak values for 30-35 year old tonnage, based on a de facto age restriction from CII…”  Read more.
