DFDS Contributes to the Aging of the Strait Fleet with the Ships “Kattegat” and “Tánger Express,” Totaling 60 Years

In April and June of this year, the ships “Kattegat” (formerly “Maren Mols”) and “Tánger Express” (formerly “Mette Mols”), from the DFDS Iberia fleet in the Strait, each celebrated thirty years in service, since their delivery in April and June 1996 to the Danish company Mols Linien A/S.

After having served well on the northern European routes, they were acquired by FRS GmbH & Co. KG in July 2011 and subsequently transferred to Baltic Shipping Co. Ltd. The first is flagged in Cyprus and the second in Morocco.

After a makeover at the Bremerhaven shipyard, they arrived in Algeciras in November of that year and joined the Tánger Med line in December, painted with the corporate image of FRS Iberia, until their later transfer to DFDS Iberia.

Currently, they are two of the oldest and most profitable units of the Danish parent company operating in the Strait — together they total 60 years — although they also contribute to a higher average age of the second-hand fleet operating in the area, both under Cypriot, Spanish, and Moroccan flags.

With a gross tonnage of 14,379 tons and a deadweight of 3,790 tons, they measure 136.40 m in overall length, 24.60 m in beam, and 5.50 m in maximum draft. They have a cargo capacity of 1,240 linear meters of rolling cargo, 344 cars, and 616 passengers, and are powered by two MAN 9L35MC engines, with a power of 10,200 kW over two shafts and a speed of 19 knots.

Photo: Andreas Hoppe (shipspotting.com)