#WorldLargest - An historic milestone in Dublin Port took place late last night as Celine, the world’s largest short-sea ro-ro freight ferry completed a commercial maiden voyage from mainland continental Europe, writes Jehan Ashmore.

On arrival from Zeebrugge, Belgium, a pair of tugs assisted the giant Celine to dock in Dublin Port just after 23.00hrs.

At 234m long the sheer length of the new ship was demonstrated in that Alexandra Basin East’s Ocean Pier is 242m. The measurement of the ship does not take into account the length of the ship's stern loading ramps when lowered into position at the berth's linkspan which itself is part of the overall pier length. As such Celine's bow has extended beyond the pier out into the port’s main internal shipping channel, unlike fleetmate Valentine of just 162m (see photo related story). 

At 74,000 gross tonnage, Celine is easily the biggest capacity ro-ro freight ferry to Dublin Port having sailed on the Rotterdam-Zeebrugge to the Irish capital with up to 8,000 freight lane meters. The next largest regular ro-ro ship using Dublin is Irish Ferries cruiseferry giant Ulysses of 50,000 gross tonnage and around half the freight unit capacity.

Ships such as Celine serving direct Ireland-continent services have raised concerns with landbridge routes via the UK, notably Holyhead, see story posted on Afloat yesterday.

Celine can handle 600 freight units which will provide Irish exporters with additional capacity and greater flexibility by trading with markets in continental Europe, particularly in post-Brexit.  The range of cargoes includes unaccompanied trailers, tank containers, project cargo, new cars and a capacity for 12 driver accompanied units. The ro-ro ship however will also include a North Sea link from Belgium to the UK.

Landlocked based operators, CLdN Ro Ro S.A. of Luxembourg had placed the order for Celine to South Korean yard of Hyundai Heavy Industries at their Mipo Dockyard in Ulsan. Celine also has green credentials in that the newbuild is 'LPG ready' which brings greater flexibility to operations.

The debut of Celine also marks a significant era for CLdN /Cobelfret Ferries as the newbuild is the first of a major intensive fleet expansion programme with a sister due for delivery later this year. The programme is for 12 newbuilds, so far six have been completed. They will join an extensive short-sea network across northern Europe.

Asides the ports mentioned that Celine is serving, other members of the 24 strong ro-ro fleet also operate other routes calling to Gothenburg, Esbjerg, Hirtshals, Santander and Porto.

#WorldLargest - As Afloat.ie reported on Monday, the World's largest ro-ro freight ferry is to make a maiden call to Dublin Port however the giant newbuild made a debut call to Rotterdam yesterday following a delivery voyage, writes Jehan Ashmore.

Operator, CLdN ro-ro SA (Cobelfret Ferries) welcomed MV Celine from a South Korean shipyard to the Dutch port from where freight traffic will use the newbuild's 8000 lane meter capacity. In addition the 234m long by 38m beam ship will be the biggest ever ro-ro vessel to use Dublin Port that will also operate from the Belgium port of Zeebrugge.

As of this morning the newbuild is currently berthed in Zeebrugge from where the ship is to sail from to the Irish capital.

M.V. Celine is easily the largest shortsea roro vessel that the Luxembourg based company has commissioned. In appearance the vessel is more akin to a modern car-carrier compared to the designs of her precedessors that were based more on open-decked freight ferries, except for some ships series of recent years.

According to the Dublin Port Company, Celine can carry over 600 freight units and is approaching twice the size of the largest ferry currently operating of the port. Afloat adds this is in reference to Ulysess, Irish Ferries giant cruiseferry serving Holyhead.

Also announced yesterday by Dublin Port, record volumes which are 30% up in five years. The port company also highlighted the newbuild Celine, notably given this newbuild will boost capacity due to demand on direct continental services and as Afloat previously alluded the context of a post-Brexit Europe.

The environment of Brexit is creating uncertainty commented Eamonn O’Reilly, Chief Executive, Dublin Port Company who added that the port is to see more new services to continental Europe during 2018.

To recap from figures released by DPC, the Ro-Ro sector reported particularly strong growth with 736,462 freight units in the first nine months, an increase of 5.3% on the previous year. Within this total, Ro-Ro services between Ireland and Britain grew strongly at 6.2%.

The volume of new imported trade vehicles however have declined by -5.5% during the period, reflecting the large increase in recent times of second-hand vehicle imports from the UK.

#worldlargest - The world's largest ro-ro ferry described as a 'game-changer' is to make a maiden call this week to Dublin Port from Zeebrugge and is to be followed with an introduction on the Rotterdam route, writes Jehan Ashmore.

Landlocked based shipping operator, CLdN ro ro S.A. with headquarters in Luxembourg, is to launch the giant 234m ro-ro freight ferry M.V. Celine with a capacity of 8,000 lane meters on the Ireland-Belgium route. The longer Dutch link will also be served by the giant ship. Beforehand of CLnd/Cobelfret's Dublin operations they had served out of Rosslare Europort until transferring to the capital in 2010.

Such sized ships will play an even bigger role given the reality of a 'post-Brexit' EU when the need to have direct sea-transport links with added capacity between Ireland and continental mainland Europe will become increasingly apparent.

Celine is to dock at Dublin's Ocean Pier in Alexandra Basin East which adjoins the larger basin of the same name from where the single largest redevelopment project in the past 200 years of the port is underway. Also related to the ABR project is the Capital Dredging Programme that began at the weekend with works in the basin along with those in the bay due to be completed by March 2018.

Newcomer Celine draws a maximum depth of 8.1m and this demonstates the requirement for Dublin Port to maintain that the channel approaches meet the demands from this ship and ever increasing larger and deeper draft ships to safely navigate and be accommodated within the port.

One of CLdN Ro Ro ships serving with sister company Cobelfret Ferries on the route linking Zeebrugge, Mazarine, namesake of her class which having reported for Ships Monthly in 2010 (Feb issue) made today a lunchtime arrival to Dublin Port. This 196m ro-ro can carry just 180 trailers, whereas the newbuild will take considerably more with 580. Such trailer traffic will involve a purpose-built ramp linkspan currently under construction in Alexandra Basin in which Afloat will have further to report. 

Asides standard unaccompanied trailers, Celine's capacity caters for tank containers, project cargo, new cars and a capacity for 12 driver accompanied units. The leadship newbuild completed by Hyundai Mipo in Ulsan,South Korea represents a fleet expansion plan for CLdN, with a sistership due in the coming months.

Currently the largest ro-ro vessel using Dublin Port is Stena Line's passenger/vehicle ferry, Stena Adventurer which has a length just shy of 211m. By coincidence the Holyhead serving ship introduced in 2003, was also built by the same Asian shipyard.

As previously reported on Afloat back in early 2016, CLdN also operates an extensive northern European network, had then confirmed two more vessels ordered but through Croatian shipbuilder Uljanik along with an option for a further four ships but with a smaller 5,400 lane metre capacity.