ForSea has decided to convert Mercandia 4 from a passenger and freight vessel to a pure freight service, the company said in its release. As a consequence, we will no longer offer retail and F&B services on Mercandia 4 as of 1 September 2019. This is a response to a long term decline in car and passenger traffic. In addition, customer surveys have over time demonstrated a clear preference of passengers to use the larger and more modern ferries.
ForSea has to date invested significantly to transform Aurora and Tycho Brahe to battery powered operation and remains committed to the development of sustainable shipping.
The Helsingør-Helsingborg ferry service is the region’s floating bridge and consists of five ferries: Aurora, Tycho Brahe, Hamlet, Mercandia IV and Mercandia VIII, all of which are environmentally friendly and equipped with catalytic converters. Aurora and Tycho Brahe have both also been converted to battery-powered operation for a total investment cost of approximately SEK 300 million. INEA, an executive agency for innovation and networks within the EU, has allocated approximately SEK 120 million to support the investment. In 2018 ForSea carried 7 million passengers and 1.3 million cars, 453,000 trucks and 16,600 buses and coaches – 20% of the total number of vehicles crossing Öresund. This traffic promotes integration and growth in the Öresund Region and is managed by a staff of 750 dedicated professionals, working every day to ensure that users have access to safe, efficient connections between Sweden and Denmark that make every journey as convenient and comfortable as possible. The connection also helps to create a further 2,000 job opportunities in the region. Johan Röstin is CEO of ForSea AB, which is owned by investment specialist First State Investments.