Friday 4 April, 2008
NORSHUKON freight service moves a step closer
“Motorway of the Sea” will link Norway with Shetland, the Scottish mainland and the Continent
Following an EU wide tendering process, the Norshukon Link Project has appointed John White to operate a new freight ferry service, linking Norway with Shetland, South East Scotland and mainland Europe.
The service, which is scheduled to be in place by the end of 2008, will operate two vessels linking the partnership areas:
- One connecting Kristiansund, Zeebrugge and Rosyth (with onward UK and Global links)
- One connecting Kristiansund and Shetland (with onward links to Orkney, Aberdeen and Scrabster)
Josie Simpson, Chair of the Shetland Development Trust said: “The creation of this freight link is a welcome step forward. From a Shetland perspective, we are disappointed that we have been unable to attract a combined passenger and freight service at this stage, however, we will welcome any developments that can be achieved to reconnect our islands with a passenger ferry link in the future”.
The Chairman of Møregruppen AS, Rolf Kåre Saether commented: “We have been working on this project for a number of years now and we are glad that we have a successful bidder in John White. The need for rapid sea transport from mid Norway to Shetland, the UK and Continental Europe is important to us and will help reduce congestion and pollution on the roads across Norway and the other countries served. We look forward to working with, and supporting, John White during the implementation phase of this strategic Motorway of the Sea.”
John White added: “I am delighted to have successfully won the bid to operate this freight service and will shortly be lodging our application for the EU Marco Polo (Modal Shift Action) funding with the Commission in Brussels. Securing this funding stream is a vital part towards delivering an operational link by November."
The service will enhance economic development, increase port utilisation and provide increased opportunities for trade within the partnership area, as well as helping reduce carbon emissions, by shifting road freight by sea.
Future developments are likely to include vessels with increased capacity and the inclusion of passenger accommodation and facilities.
SEStran Chair Russell Imrie said: “SEStran was determined that this new service will have its UK landfall at Rosyth, as we believe that it has the potential to provide a major boost to the region’s economy. The new service will be able to make good use of South East Scotland’s excellent transportation links to the rest of the UK for onward transfer of freight. In addition, each voyage will carry tonnes of goods that would otherwise have to be transported by road, thus cutting down on carbon emissions and reducing congestion on the nation’s roads.”
Welcoming the appointment of a successful bidder to take the project implementation forward the Chair of ZetTrans, Allan Wishart, commented: “I am pleased that we have been able to reinstate a Scandinavian ferry link. The introduction and development of this new freight service will enhance the external trade links which we have with our neighbours and the prospect of a passenger service in the future will only benefit us still further. Our Transport Strategy committed us to supporting the investigation of the potential for new links like this and it is pleasing to see this project taking us beyond this stage.”
For further information please contact:
Ken Duerden (ZetTrans) on 01595 74 4888
Fiona Dally (SDT) on 01595 74 4964
Andrew Dougal (SEStran) on 0131 524 5161
Notes to Editors
1. NORSHUKON LINK Project Partners are: Møregruppen AS, Shetland Development Trust, ZetTrans and SEStran
2. The NORSHUKON LINK is an initiative aimed at providing a new Motorway of the Sea ferry link between mid Norway (Kristiansund), Shetland, the UK and the Continent.
3. The key objectives of the new service, which will possibly link in with existing UK / Continental services, are:-
- To shift significant volumes of freight from road to sea between Norway – UK and Norway – Continent;
- To increase tourism potential in the areas served;
- To reduce peripherality and improve socio-economic cohesion across the connected areas.
4. The service is being promoted under the banner of NORSHUKON LINK - the acronym signifying the areas involved in the project.
5. John White is a Shetland based businessman with interests in the provision of passenger transport services as well as the freight haulage and logistics industries.
6. John White is working in conjunction with Kristiansund and Nordmøre Port, Lerwick Port Authority, Forth Ports (Port of Rosyth), the Port of Zeebrugge and Northwards (Logistics and Haulage).
7. As well as the aforementioned parties, discussions with other key suppliers (vessel charterers and ship managers) are at an advanced stage and will be concluded only once the outcome of the Marco Polo application is known. John White will co-ordinate the activities of the suppliers during, and after, the mobilisation phase of the project. For further operational information, please contact John White’s office on 01595 809382 (please note office opening hours are Monday to Friday 2pm until 6pm).
8. The outcome of the bid for Marco Polo funding is not likely to be known until July. The Partners believe that this Project is well suited to benefit from the Marco Polo (Modal Shift Action) initiative and stands a particularly good chance of being successful in the forthcoming round of bidding which is open to bids from across Europe.
9. The completion of the tendering process and the submission of the bid for Marco Polo funding ends the Shetland Development Trust’s operational and financial involvement in the Project.
10. The NORSHUKON LINK motorway of the sea service is included in the EU Interreg IVB North Sea Programme as part of the StratMos Demo Project (Strategic Motorway of the Sea Demonstration Project, 2008-2011). The StratMos Project will assist in further strengthening of the MoS route through various initiatives to help inform users about the revised supply chain opportunites that exist using sea transport as opposed to long distance road transport and leading to further modal shift from road to sea.