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Stena considers future of Harwich-Hook HSS
Falling passenger numbers and rocketing fuel prices mean that the future of Stena Line's fast ferry service between Harwich and the Hook of Holland is in the balance.
Stena is carrying out a review of its services on the route, according to North Sea route director Pim de Lange.
"We hope to be ready with the review by the end of April and then we will make some decisions," he said.
"We are evaluating the whole thing. Everyone can understand that fuel prices have more than doubled over the past two years and the HSS is consuming a lot of expensive fuel.
"At the same time there has been a structural decrease of the passenger market over the past three years and these two things together don't work out well for us. We are looking into the economic viability of the HSS for the future and calculating a lot of things."
Stena carried 700,000 passengers on its Harwich-Hook route last year, "nowhere near the 1m that we had for years", said Mr de Lange. However, freight volumes were good, increasing by 5% to 161,000 freight units.
The route is also served by two conventional ro-pax vessels, the Hollandica and the Britannica.
"Some experts are saying that the fuel price will remain high or even go further up, while others say it will go down a little bit; but everyone is agreed that prices will never go down to the level we had a few years ago of $30 a barrel," Mr de Lange said.
"We have to consider our position here. Harwich-Hook of Holland is an important passenger and freight market, and we have made no decisions yet - but we have been working night and day on this for the past six months.
"It may mean that we have to buy new ships, or other possibilities like lengthening the Hollandica and the Britannica. There are a number of options which we are considering."
Stena is carrying out a review of its services on the route, according to North Sea route director Pim de Lange.
"We hope to be ready with the review by the end of April and then we will make some decisions," he said.
"We are evaluating the whole thing. Everyone can understand that fuel prices have more than doubled over the past two years and the HSS is consuming a lot of expensive fuel.
"At the same time there has been a structural decrease of the passenger market over the past three years and these two things together don't work out well for us. We are looking into the economic viability of the HSS for the future and calculating a lot of things."
Stena carried 700,000 passengers on its Harwich-Hook route last year, "nowhere near the 1m that we had for years", said Mr de Lange. However, freight volumes were good, increasing by 5% to 161,000 freight units.
The route is also served by two conventional ro-pax vessels, the Hollandica and the Britannica.
"Some experts are saying that the fuel price will remain high or even go further up, while others say it will go down a little bit; but everyone is agreed that prices will never go down to the level we had a few years ago of $30 a barrel," Mr de Lange said.
"We have to consider our position here. Harwich-Hook of Holland is an important passenger and freight market, and we have made no decisions yet - but we have been working night and day on this for the past six months.
"It may mean that we have to buy new ships, or other possibilities like lengthening the Hollandica and the Britannica. There are a number of options which we are considering."
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