Faroese shipping company Smyril Line Cargo has strengthened its position in freight transport to and from Iceland with a new ship and expansion in Þorlákshöfn. Smyril Line has grown significantly in recent years and is now working on the next big step in its development with the arrival of a new ship that will increase the company’s transport capacity.
In December 2023, Smyril Line Cargo added the ship M/V Glyvursnes, which replaced the chartered ship M/V Mistral. Subsequently, the ship M/V Lista was chartered at the beginning of the year to temporarily replace the M/V Glyvursnes, which is undergoing an engine overhaul. M/V Lista is a specialized ro-ro vessel that can also handle containers and is 193 meters long. The new ship doubles the transport capacity compared to the company’s current ships.
Óskar Sveinn Friðriksson, Managing Director of Smyril Line Cargo in Iceland, tells Mbl.is that the company is building two new and environmentally friendly ro-ro vessels that will be delivered in the middle of next year. He says the vessels are specially designed for sailing in the North Atlantic, will reduce fuel consumption by 60% and have larger fuel tanks for the use of methanol, which significantly reduces carbon dioxide emissions.
“In recent years, we have placed great emphasis on developing more sustainable solutions in transportation. The new vessels will be 190 meters long and probably the largest in scheduled transportation to Iceland. These vessels are also specially designed for the approach and conditions in Þorlákshöfn,” says Óskar.
He says that the company plans to begin construction this year of a 3,000 square meter cargo and cold storage facility in Þorlákshöfn, which will facilitate product handling and improve the company’s service to customers.
“We have had a very good collaboration with Ölfus Municipality. It can be said that Smyril Line has played a role in putting Þorlákshöfn on the map as a shipping port in Iceland. With the expansion of our fleet, the port will get a longer berth and increased turning space for larger ships. But the problem in Þorlákshöfn today is a lack of space.
We have business areas all over Þorlákshöfn. For example, the customs area is fenced off from the marina, so we are building there right next to the new warehouse. But this takes time and the municipality has done a very good job in expanding the port and this has become a completely different port than it was a few years ago,” says Óskar.
According to Óskar, Smyril Line’s operations in Iceland have grown rapidly in recent years. For example, the growth since 2016 has averaged 20% per year in terms of tons. He says the increase is due, among other things, to the rapid growth of aquaculture in Iceland, along with growth in imports of general goods, while the transport of products in this sector has multiplied.
Source: Mbl.is
