Olga Dt:Tbicka, M.Sc.Econ. the Baltic Sea Is Characterized by a High
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Bulletin of the Maritime Institute Gdansk, 1996, 23, 1 Olga Dt:tbicka, M.Sc.Econ. Department of Foreign Cooperation Maritime Institute, Gdansk, Poland FERRY SHIPPING ON THE BALTIC SEA - POLISH CASE Abstract The Baltic Sea is characterized by a high activity of ferry and ro-ro shipping, although density offeny connections is different in separate region of that aquen. Economic, social and political changes in Central and East Europe, aspiration for countries' integration within the Baltic sub-region are the features which create new development possibilities for ferry shipping linking Scandinavian countries with Central and East Europe. The above processes are followed by growing competition, either be tween ferry lines and with alternative transport routes. Central localization of Poland in Europe, especially its location on the European North-South route, along with comparatively small distance 'from Scandinavian countries are the features which predispose Polish p01ts and feny operators to serve either container (ro-ro streams and passenger) cargo feny traffic. The presented factors forces new outlook on the operation of feny corridors passing through Polish ports. The Baltic Sea is proved to be interesting water area while regar ding transport services. Despite its rather small size, the volume of total cargo turnover on the Baltic amounts up to 8% of the world seaborne trade. Recently, almost 300 million tonnes of cargo is ship ved on the Baltic, including 40% of cargo transportation in Baltic 46 0 . Dc;bicka relations and 60% of shipments in external relations. Internal Baltic trade, amounting 120 million tonnes, is divided into international transportation (75 million tonnes) and cabotage (45 million tonnes). A share of sea route in the transportation of internal Baltic trade defers depending on the countries. The biggest one is observed in Scandinavian trade- with sea route amounting 61 % in export and 86% in import. A high concentration of the short sea and ro-ro lines is proved to be a characteristic feature of the Baltic transportation market, how ever separate regions of that aquen noted different density of ferry connections. There are about 40 ferry operators on the Baltic Sea operating about 130 ferries. The volume of Baltic ferry transportation has been steady increasing recently. The growth is observed either in passenger and in cargo transportation. At the same time, essential structural changes took place in the Baltic ferry shipping. Beside passenger-car ferries serving most of all passenger movements, more and more ro-ro units have been entered into operation. The construc ted ferries are bigger and modern, offering higher standard of services. The ports and harbours are being modernized and developed, beco ming large passenger ports and transhipment centres. All these factors make the competition in ferry shipping become more sharp. 1 Baltic ferry traffic is concentrated on four main transport routes : • western route: linking Scandinavia, Germany and Poland- embra cing ca. 75% of passengers' ferry transportation on the Baltic; • central-eastern route: linking Sweden with Finland, Russia and Estonia- embracing over 20% of passengers' ferry transportation; • eastern-western route: linking Finland with Germany and Poland serving only 0.12% of Baltic traffic; • central route: linking Sweden with Gdansk agglomeration and Ryga, which serves 3.5% of passengers' ferry traffic. 1 Szwankowski S. and others, 1995, Polish Transport System in the Network of Baltic Connections, WW IM 5041. (In Polish). Ferry shipping on th e Baltic Sea - Po lish case 47 The Baltic ferry market is a segment of the European transit market in the North-South direction. The market constitutes a perfect trans port network linking Scandinavia with West and Central Europe - used to serve majority of passenger and cargo transportation in that region. Up to now, central Baltic with ports of Gdansk and Gdynia are the area of small intensity of ferry traffic. However, economic and political changes in Central and Eastern Europe have resulted in completely new economic situation in the Baltic Sea region. That factor, along with integration of the Baltic Europe, creates new possibilities for ferry shipping linking Scandinavian countries with Central and East Europe. New attitude towards maritime shipping, agreed on conference of Ministers of Trans port of Baltic countries, provides for further development and promotion of ferry services, coastal and short sea shipping. Central localization of Poland in Europe, on the European North South Transport Corridors, undoubtedly favour Polish ports to serve as base ports for ro-ro and ferry lines on the Baltic, and create new possibilities for Polish ferry operators for serving cargo and passenger movements on that route. Polish ferry operators have served Baltic cargo and passenger mo vements for 30 years, going through many reorganization, in that through the state's allocation offerries by their types. At present, their share in the Baltic ferry transportation is rather small - amounting ca 1% in total passenger transportation, 5% in cargo shipment. Nowadays there are three Polish ferry armators who operate on the Baltic routes. The Polish Baltic Shipping Co. (with head quarter in Kolobrzeg) is the leading one, followed by the Euroafrica (co-owned by the Polish Shipping Line) and by newly established company Unity Line -a joint venture of the Polish Steamship Company and Euroafrica. In 1994 total number of Polish ferries being engaged in serving connections between Poland and Scandinavia amounts 9 of 80,493 BRT, in that 2 rail ferries of 17,315 BRT and 7 passenger-car ferries of 63,178 BRT. Detailed description of the tonnage operated by Polish ferry operators is presented in the Table 1 and Table 2 . ""'00 Table 1. Ferries operated by the Polish Baltic Shipping Companies m/fWilANOW m/f ROGALIN m/f NIEBOROW m/f SILESIA m/f POMERANIA m/f PARSE;TA Type car-passenger car-passenger car-passenger car-passenger car-passenger ro-ro ferry Built 1966 1972 1973 1979 1978 1970 Shipyard Randsburg-Germany Dub, Nantes-France Randsburg-Germany A.Warskiego- A.Warskiego- Bremen- Germany Szczecin Szczecin Vehicle access Bow/stern ramps Bow/stern ramps Stern ramps Bow/stern ramps Bow/stern ramps Bow/stern ramps No of crew 82 90 105 110 110 21 No of passengers 600 880 870 984 894 21 Cargo: -cars 130 146 225 277 277 9 - 0 -trucks 24 17 25 26 26 18 .t1> ~ (") Speed: - max 18 Knots 20.4 Knots 22 Knots 19.5 Knots 19.5 Knots 14 Knots ""0> - service 15 Knots 16 Knots 17 Knots 15 Knots 15 Knots 13,5 Knots Flag Polish Polish Polish Polish Polish Polish Lenght 110.17 m 115.33 m 118.83 m 124.25 m 127,50 m 96.61 m Breadth 17.63 m 19.54 m 18.54 m 19.45 m 19,40 m 15.83 m Depth moulded 11.20 m 12.25 m N/A 7.31 m N/A N/A Draught 4.90 m 5.17 m 5.2 m 5.06/5.42 m N/A N/A ' DWT 1' 118 t 1,250 t N/A N/A 1'146 t N/A - ---------- Ferry shipping on th e Balt ic Sea - Polish case 49 Table 2. Fe rries operated by Euroafrica and Unity Line Euroafrica Unity Line m/f Mikotaj Kopernik m/f Jan Sniadecki m/f Polonia Type car-rail ferry car-rail ferry passenger-car-rail ferry Built 1974 1988 1995 Shipyard Trosvik Verksted Falkenberg Varv Langsten Shipyerd- Brevik - Norway AB- Sweden Norway Vehicle access Stern ramp Stern ramp N/A No of crew 27 29 82 No of 63 59 1000 passengers Cargo -cars - - N/A -trucks 42 60 N/A -train cars 40 60 N/A The above ferries serve the following lines: • Swinoujscie-Ystad -operated by Euroafrica (2 car-railway ferries) and Unity Line (1 car-passenger-rail ferry); • Swinoujscie-Copenhagen - operated by Polish Baltic Shipping Co. ( 1 car-passenger ferry); • Swinoujscie-Malmo- operated by Polish Baltic Shipping Co. (2 car -passenger ferries, 1 ro-ro vessel); • Gdatisk-Oxelosund - operated by Polish Baltic Shipping Co. (1 car passenger ferry) • Swinoujscie-Ronne (Bornholm) -a seasonal line operated by Po lish Baltic Shipping Co. The above ferry lines are illustrated on the Fig. 1. Swinoujscie-Malmo is a new route opened in May 1995 by the Polish Baltic Shipping Company which withdraw two ferries from Swinbujscie-Ystad line and opened new connection served with the 50 0 . Dt;bicka Fig.l.· Ferry connections of Polish sea ports in the Baltic region Ferry shipping on the Baltic Sea -Polish ca se 51 two mentioned units. Moreover, a new Polish company has been established in Malmo port which rent part of port's territory in order to serve, among others, Polish ferries. The line Gdynia-Karlskrone, operated by Corona Line till April 1995, was cancelled. That line - the youngest one in Poland - after three years of activities, operating only one ferry was able to take over 25% of Polish-Scandinavian passenger traffic and over 10% of cargo movements. Despite the capital weakness of the three follo wing operators, the number of calls at Gdynia ferry terminals incre ased from 133 in 1991 to 217 in 1994, passenger shipments increased by fourth times and cargoes by 6 times. Of course, as it was already mentioned, Polish operators handles slight part of Baltic trade. Such situation results, among others, from the fact that majority of ferry transportation is connected with very intensive "cross" trade between Scandinavian countries- that market's segment is practically not available for Polish operators. However, nowadays one can observe serious possibilities of reviving "length ways" and "diagonal" connections- what should work up an interest in Polish ferry operators. That tendency is foreboded by association of Sweden and Finland with the European Union.