Ferry Time blog

Ferry from Pembroke Dock, Wales to Ferrol, Galicia, Spain

Here’s a new ferry route planned which sounds great for Wales and Galicia but with restricted passenger numbers. A new ferry service which could take cargo and passengers directly from Pembrokeshire to the north coast of Spain is now under discussion and could be up and running as early as next year, 2010. The possible route between Pembroke Dock and the city of Ferrol, in north western Spain, is still in its early stages, but could give huge advantages to haulage companies if it goes ahead.

Passenger ferry service

Unfortunately for potential holidaymakers and tourists, the ferry service being discussed by the Milford Haven Port Authority (MHPA) and port bosses at Ferrol would only have room for about 10 to 12 passengers, the main focus being on transporting freight, unaccompanied by drivers, which would be dropped off at the ferry in Pembroke Dock and picked up at the other side. In other words, this would be a container ferry rather than a car ferry or even long distance lorry ferry.

Ferries reduce environmental impact

MHPA commercial director Joe Besch said:

The benefit would be that you don’t have a lorry driving right across England, France and Spain. Companies can save on the environmental impact and on the roads and costs of drivers”

Research has already shown that there are between 90 to 100,000 potential truck loads which could use the service, with around 16,000 units needed to make the route viable.

Mr Besch continued

The more people we can get the better, because you are increasing the utilisation of the ferry terminal at Pembroke Dock and we also have a twice daily service with Ireland and this would allow for Irish cargo to come from Ireland and send cargo directly over to Spain. We have spoken to ship owners and ferry companies, the next stage is to do more market research and find out who the companies are who could use the service.

Where is Ferrol?

Ferrol is a city in the Province of A Coruña in Galicia. Located on the Atlantic coast in north-western Spain, it has urban population of 77,859 and metropolitan area of over 241,528 (2007)

The city has been a major naval shipbuilding centre for most of its history, being the capital of the Spanish Navy’s Maritime Department of the North since the time of the early Bourbons. Before that, in the 17th century, Ferrol was the most important arsenal in Europe. Today, the city is also known as the home of the shipbuilding yards of Navantia .

The first voyage of the new ferry service linking Scotland to mainland Europe has just been completed.

The Scottish Viking, which will sail between Rosyth in Fife and Zeebrugge in Belgium three times a week, finished its maiden voyage and passengers were welcomed off the ship by Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond as it arrived into the Scottish port.

He said: “I’m delighted to welcome the Scottish Viking and its first homecoming passengers to Scotland… Maintaining connections with major European markets is vital for Scotland at a time of global economic challenges.

“But not only will the Scottish Viking allow access to important commercial contacts, it will be a boost for the local economy in Fife, and an environmentally friendly route home for Scotland’s friends, family and visitors.”

The ferry, run by Norfolkline, took over the route after it was discontinued by Superfast Ferries in September last year. Its departure from Zeebrugge however was delayed by several hours on Monday when the captain suffered a non-fatal heart attack and a replacement had to be found.

The Scottish Viking was built in an Italian shipyard and registered in Italy, and is therefore required to have an Italian captain on board. However, the ferry service will receive €2 million (£1.8 million) from the Scottish Government through a Waterborne Freight Grant.

As part of his welcome, the First Minister gave each passenger on the Scottish Viking’s maiden journey a special ticket offer for The Gathering, an international clan gathering due to take place in Edinburgh in July.

The Gathering is part of Scotland’s Homecoming Year celebrations, a series of events and festivities taking place throughout 2009 that are designed to put people from across the world back in touch with their Scottish roots.