Wednesday, January 18, 2023 - 11:14 by ce-press
The Port of Roenne has gained new customers since extensions were made to the port infrastructure in 2019 allowing for larger ships to call.
In the past cruise lines such as AIDA Cruises and Holland America Line were bringing ships up to 240m in length, but now they are able to bring in their larger vessels. Also now able to call with large ships are Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, TUI Cruises, Cunard Line, Princess Cruises, P&O Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line.
Last year was a record year with 65 calls carrying 35,00 passengers, the latter being less than full capacity on board which is not unusual following the Covid-19 pandemic. MSC Preciosa is the largest to call to date, being 333m in length.
A further 14 calls were made to other parts of Bornholm island, mostly by expedition ships.
This year about 50 calls are expected to the Port of Roenne (over 60 in total to Bornholm).
In terms of sustainability, the port has established a partnership - Bornholm Bunker Hub - together with Orsted, Bunker Holding, Topsoe, Ramboll, Bureau Veritas, Molslinjen and Wartsila, with the vision of establishing Port of Roenne as a hub for green fuels for shipping, hopefully by 2025.
The plan is for fuels, such as biofuels, methanol and ammonia, to be made available on customer request. Depending on the type and quantity these can be imported or produced locally.
Yana Grundke, chief business officer for cruise Port of Roenne, says: “The primary production of green electricity in 2030 will come from offshore wind, but local renewable production like solar, onshore wind and biomass will also be contributors.
“By 2030 Bornholm will be one of two Danish energy islands with significant amounts of green electricity, which amongst others, can be used for production of the green fuels offered by Bornholm Bunker Hub. The green power can also be part of onshore power supply in the port,” she adds.
To date the port has not received any direct requests from cruise lines but Grundke says that dialogue is taking place to see if the port is able to accommodate customer needs.
