Auteur/autrice : Randi Vestergaard

  • Un périple de liberté et de redécouverte

    Un périple de liberté et de redécouverte

    Un périple de liberté
    et de redécouverte

    La liberté sur deux roues

    Sur les chemins tranquilles autour de l’Islande et des îles Féroé – un voyage plein d’énergie et de nature époustouflante vers des gens qui ont touché mon cœur.

    Rouler à moto a toujours été pour moi une sensation de liberté sans limite, une passion depuis ma jeunesse. Je passais mes week-ends sur les routes, d’abord en scooter, puis en moto, explorant l’Europe et apprenant à réparer les machines moi-même. Cependant, cette passion a brutalement pris fin en 1992 quand un ami proche a tragiquement perdu la vie lors d’une course en Sicile.

    Deux ans plus tard, j’ai mis fin à mes aventures à moto, m’abstenant d’en monter une pendant plus de 30 ans. Mais il y a deux ans, l’envie de rouler est réapparue – cette fois-ci avec une nouveauté : je voulais piloter une moto électrique.

    Florian Heiberger

    Islande & Îles Féroé

    Moto

    Été 2024

    Choisir la moto
    électrique idéale

    Trouver la moto électrique parfaite a été un défi. Mon premier choix était un modèle de la marque américaine Zero Motorcycles, mais des problèmes techniques et un cycle de charge long de cinq à six heures se sont révélés gênants.

    Finalement, j’ai découvert l’Energica Eva SS9 du constructeur italien Energica, vendu par eBike-Store Dreiland. Sa technologie de charge rapide DC a été l’élément décisif, permettant des recharges complètes en seulement 40 minutes. Avec la moto adéquate, j’étais prêt pour mes premiers itinéraires de voyage.

    Tracer
    le parcours

    IEn 2023, j’ai exploré les États baltes et la Scandinavie. En 2024, j’ai planifié une expédition autour de l’Islande et des îles Féroé.

    Planifier l’itinéraire d’une moto électrique n’était pas une tâche facile. En utilisant Google Maps, des applications de bornes de recharge comme « Chargefinder » et une application de randonnée reprogrammée, j’ai repéré des points de recharge CCS pour des recharges plus rapides. Aux îles Féroé, elbil.fo a été inestimable

    L’aventure en ferry vers l’Islande

    J’ai réservé le ferry et la cabine avec Smyril Line des mois à l’avance. Le voyage jusqu’au port de ferry de Hirtshals, au Danemark, m’a pris cinq jours. À mon arrivée, j’ai rejoint au moins 100 motards du monde entier, tous en quête d’aventure. Smyril Line offrait tout le confort – une cuisine délicieuse, des divertissements et de la détente – rendant le voyage aussi agréable qu’une croisière.

    Les défis de rouler en Islande

    En débarquant à Seyðisfjörður, j’ai rapidement apprécié le poids de 300 kg de ma moto, ainsi que la charge supplémentaire des câbles de recharge, des bagages et d’une tente. J’ai exploré l’Islande dans le sens des aiguilles d’une montre, en commençant par la côte sud, réputée pour ses vents violents.

    Chaque matin, je vérifiais les prévisions météo sur umferdin.is. Les vents de face consommaient jusqu’à 20% de la capacité de la batterie, j’estimais donc une portée d’environ 100 kilomètres par charge. Les pauses de recharge sont devenues des occasions de découvrir le pays, de rencontrer les habitants et de m’imprégner de l’hospitalité islandaise.

    Des rencontres
    et des lieux mémorables

    Lors d’une escale à Húsavík, un couple âgé m’a invité à prendre un café et des douceurs, me permettant de recharger ma moto quatre fois en tout. Les sources d’énergie propre de l’Islande – 75% hydraulique et 25% géothermique – ont enrichi l’expérience, et la visite de Hellisheiði, la plus grande centrale géothermique du monde, a été un moment fort.

    Une aventure durable inoubliable

    En quatre semaines, j’ai parcouru 6 000 kilomètres, visité 59 stations de recharge et documenté chaque arrêt avec des photos et des vidéos. Les paysages magnifiques m’ont souvent ému aux larmes, et le voyage a ravivé ma passion pour la moto.

    Cette aventure m’a prouvé que la mobilité durable et l’envie de découvrir peuvent coexister. J’espère que mes expériences inspireront d’autres personnes à adopter l’électromobilité et à explorer le monde de manière responsable.

  • New Port Terminal and Headquarter

    New Port Terminal and Headquarter

    New Port Terminal and Headquarter

    Today marked a significant milestone with the first groundbreaking at Molin in Tórshavn, where Smyril Line and Tórshavn Municipality, together with the Port of Tórshavn, will build a new port terminal and headquarters for P/F Smyril Line.

    This joint project, set to be a state-of-the-art facility at Molin in Tórshavn, will be 8054 square meters in size and includes a passenger terminal with a gangway and check in, expanded warehouse, and office spaces for Smyril Line as well as facilities for customs.

    Articon, Henning Larsen Architects, LBF Consulting Engineers, PBC, and Verk.fo are jointly responsible for the project, which is expected to be completed in the summer of 2026.

  • An Agreement for a New Terminal

    An Agreement for a New Terminal

    An Agreement for a New Terminal

    Smyril Line and Articon have made an agreement to build a terminal. The new terminal will also include a warehouse and offices. The building will be situated on the harbor in Tórshavn.

    Smyril Line needs larger storage and office facilities, and Tórshavnar Havn (Port of Tórshavn) requires a better and larger terminal than the old one. Therefore, a collaboration agreement has been made.

    With this project, Smyril Line and Tórshavnar Havn aim to secure their future operations and provide better services.

    The new terminal, including storage and office spaces, will cover a total area of 7,389 square metres. The project also includes a customs building, a gangway, and check-in areas, bringing the total area to 8,054 square metres.

    The work is expected to be completed in the summer of 2026.

    The advisors on the project are: Henning Larsen Architects, LBF Consulting Engineers, PBC, and Verk.fo.

  • Changes Ahead for Norröna’s Sailing Schedule

    Changes Ahead for Norröna’s Sailing Schedule

    Changes Ahead for Norröna’s Sailing Schedule

    For many years, Norröna has sailed from the Faroe Islands on Thursday evening and from Hirtshals on Saturday afternoon, but in November 2024, the sailing schedule will change.

    From 8 November 2024, the winter sailing schedule will be as follows:

    • Departure from Tórshavn on Friday evening at 20:00.
    • Arrival in Hirtshals on Sunday at 11:00, followed by departure from Hirtshals at 15:00.
    • Arrival back in Tórshavn on Tuesday morning at 7:30.

    From the end of November to mid-March, there is no sailing to Iceland, but when Norröna resumes its sailings to Iceland in March, the departure from Tórshavn to Iceland will be on Tuesday, and from Seyðisfjörður to the Faroe Islands on Thursday evening.

    In June, the summer sailing schedule will commence, remaining the same as in previous years. Norröna will continue to sail twice a week between Denmark and the Faroe Islands and once a week to Iceland during the summer period.

  • Smyril Line’s 2023 Year in Review

    Smyril Line’s 2023 Year in Review

    Smyril Line had its annual general meeting at Hotel Hafnia today. At the meeting, the annual report for 2023 was presented. EBITDA for 2023 was 267 million DKK, compared with 201 million DKK in 2022. The profit after tax was 122 million DKK, compared with 77 million DKK in 2022. This is therefore a record year for the company. Smyril Line is paying a 10 million DKK dividend for 2023.

    The number of employees at the Smyril Line group was 595 in 2023. This was about the same as the previous year. The cargo operations were generally successful, and on the passenger side, there was a reasonable increase in demand for Iceland, while the demand for the Faroe Islands decreased slightly in 2023 compared to 2022.

    The largest investment by Smyril Line in 2023 was the cargo ship Glyvursnes, which joined the company in December. Glyvursnes sails the route between Tórshavn, Þórlakshöfn, and Hirtshals. With the purchase of Glyvursnes, Smyril Line can service the entire route network with its own fleet.

    The outlook for 2024 is reasonably good. We expect steady development both within travel and cargo operations. This assessment is based on the current trend and outlook, but factors such as rising fuel prices, duties, interest rate hikes, inflation, and the political situation can change the conditions.

    It is of great importance that Smyril Line continuously renews and future-proofs its fleet. We are pleased that in January this year, we made a contract to build two new cargo ships, which will join the fleet in 2026. Thus, the renewal of the fleet has begun. This means that we can also in the future provide our customers with good service and lead the company towards a greener energy solution.

    Board: The board consists of Tummas Justinussen, Arne Joensen, Helga á Borg, and Jens Meinhard Rasmussen.

    If you have questions, you are welcome to contact Jens Meinhard Rasmussen, CEO, on tel. no. 794910.

  • Smyril Line Signed Contracts for Two RoRo Cargo Ships

    Smyril Line Signed Contracts for Two RoRo Cargo Ships

    Smyril Line Signed Contracts for Two RoRo Cargo Ships

    Smyril Line has signed contracts for two modern and environmentally friendly RoRo cargo ships.

    Smyril Line is pleased to announce that a contract has been made with the CIMC Raffles shipyard in China to build two new cargo ships for the company. These are two identical RoRo ships, measuring 190 meters in length and having 3,300 lane meters for trailers. The new cargo ships will join Smyril Line’s current network, and they are planned to start sailing in 2026. The ships are designed for optimal year-round seaworthiness in the North Atlantic with great emphasize on our crew comforts and wellbeing on board.

    The ships are being designed in close cooperation with Knud E. Hansen, naval architects, who, together with the extensive experience of Smyril Line in the North Atlantic, will ensure that the ships are built for the special route between Europe, the Faroe Islands, and Iceland. The ships will be modern and environmentally friendly, meeting all international emission standards. Compared to the company’s existing fleet, they will emit significantly less per transported ton. At the same time, the ships will be equipped with a battery system and the possibility for shore power, which means that port operations can be conducted without emissions. The ships will also be prepared to sail on e-methanol, which is considered to be the best future choice for green energy at Smyril Line.

    « Now is the time to set ourselves new and bigger goals towards reducing emissions in the North Atlantic, » says Jens Meinhard Rasmussen, CEO of Smyril Line. « The company’s main goal is to ensure safe and reliable transportation of both passengers and cargo, and to connect the periphery of the North Atlantic with the rest of the world. With the new ships, we emphasize futureproofing and leading the company towards a greener energy solution and lead the way for Smyril Line towards the goals for decarbonization in our fleet renewal, supporting the green transition of the shipping industry.

    We will also transport much larger quantities of cargo with less energy consumption than we do now. The energy saving will be at least 60%. This is an important step for us to achieve our goals towards net-zero emissions by 2050, while we can offer our customers an even better service. We have been operating routes in the North Atlantic since 1982. This is not just one of the world’s longest ro-ro and ro-pax routes, but probably also the one with the most challenging sailing conditions. We know from experience that sailing on our route places great demands on both ship and crew, and we have therefore designed the ships with this in mind. »

    Kind regards

    Jens Meinhard Rasmussen, CEO Contact: +298 794910, jmr@smyrilline.fo

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