DFDS and CLdN Further Boosting North Sea Freight Ferry Capacity

New Services Announced Ahead of Increased Customs Checks

Ferry operators CLdN and DFDS have agreed to together operate an additional twelve North Sea freight ferry sailings per week under a space-charter arrangement. The services will link Killingholme on the south bank of the River Humber with the Rotterdam ports of Rozenburg and Vlaardingen in Holland.

Each operator will contribute one ship, giving six departures in each direction per week. According to DFDS, the use of Killingholme as the U.K. port will help to relieve congestion at its current Humber terminal at Immingham. Killingholme is operated by CLdN sister-company C.Ro Ports.

The new service is a three-port route, sailing from Killingholme to CLdN’s Rotterdam terminal at Rozenburg, then on to DFDS’ preferred port of Vlaardingen, before returning to Killingholme. The companies expect hauliers to be keen to make the most of an 05:00 arrival on the Humber on weekdays. DFDS suggests that this could help alleviate issues with driver shortages as some drivers could theoretically undertake two trips on one driving day.

LAURELINE was the lead vessel in a series of six 5,400lm capacity Ro-Ro's ordered from Hyundai Mipo of Korea. Image: Hyundai Mipo Dockyard. — LAURELINE was the lead vessel in a series of six 5,400lm capacity Ro-Ro’s ordered from Hyundai Mipo of Korea. Image: Hyundai Mipo Dockyard.

Both company’s customers will be able to use either Dutch port. Each company will continue to operate its ships independently. This includes all commercial arrangements, meaning that the two companies continue to compete normally.

The two additional vessels haven’t yet been disclosed. Given current pressures on both companies’ fleets it seems likely that charter tonnage will be needed directly or indirectly.

More Freight to Shift from Short Sea Routes?

Sailings will commence on 10 January 2022, shortly after additional customs checks are introduced between the UK and the EU. There has already been a reported shift of freight traffic from the short sea routes using Dover to longer routes from Belgium and Holland to ports in the North East of England. The announcement of this space charter with DFDS follows a number of CLdN moves to increase capacity on its services linking Continental Europe with the U.K. and Ireland.

The Killingholme – Rozenburg – Vlaardingen – Killingholme rotation will be offered between Sunday and Friday every week. Additionally, CLdN will continue to offer the current six sailings per week each way between Rozenburg and Killingholme. DFDS will also continue its current service linking Vlaardingen and Immingham. This also offers six departures in each direction per week.


Day	From	Departure (local time)	To	Arrival next day (local time)
Monday to Friday	Rozenburg	09:30 hrs	Killingholme	05:00 hrs
	Vlaardingen	15:30 hrs	Killingholme	05:00 hrs
	Killingholme	12:00 hrs	Rozenburg	05:00 hrs
	Killingholme	12:00 hrs	Vlaardingen	12:30 hrs

Day	From	Departure (local time)	To	Arrival next day (local time)
Sunday	Rozenburg	09:30 hrs	Killingholme	05:00 hrs
	Vlaardingen	15:30 hrs	Killingholme	05:00 hrs
	Killingholme	12:00 hrs	Rozenburg	05:00 hrs

The announcement of this space charter with DFDS follows a number of CLdN moves to increase capacity on its services linking Continental Europe with the U.K. and Ireland. Competitor Stena Line plans to move its Killingholme to Rotterdam Europoort service to Immingham on 1 January, though its driver-accompanied service to Hoek van Holland will remain at Killingholme.

CLdN recently took delivery of FAUSTINE, an LNG-fuelled 5,400 lane metre capacity Ro-Ro from Hyundai Mipo (HMD). The 217m-long ship has capacity for 820 cars and 310 trailers on her seven vehicle decks. She is the fifth of six LAURELINE-class Ro-Ro’s ordered from HMD by CLdN, and the first to be LNG-fuelled. FAUSTINE is currently en-route to Dakar and is expected to be in service for CLdN early in the new year.

FAUSTINE is the fifth of six 5,400 lane metre capacity Ro-Ro ferries ordered by CLdN from Korean shipbuilder Hyundai Mipo. She is the first in the series to be LNG-fuelled and also the first Ro-Ro to be built in Korea with LNG propulsion. Image: Hyundai Mipo Dockyard.

New Zealand Charter for CLdN’s Valentine.

Another CLdN vessel, VALENTINE, was recently chartered to Kiwirail for use on its Interislander service. She will be used to boost capacity on the route across the Cook Strait linking the north and south islands of New Zealand. The additional capacity is required due to major technical problems with KAIARAHI (ex STENA ALEGRA, etc), with that ship expected to miss the first three months of the new year due gearbox repairs. It is understood that the ship will be wet docked in New Zealand.

CldN’s VALENTINE having the Interislander logo applied at Falmouth prior to sailing to New Zealand for the start of a 12 month charter with the operator. Image: Interislander.

Additionally, NIFS understands that there have been technical problems with the rail-ferry ARATERE, meaning only KAITAKI (ex ISLE OF INNISFREE) has been operating as normal on the route. Kiwirail intends to replace all three ships with two newbuilds ordered from Hyundai Mipo. Delivery is expected during 2025 and 2026.

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