DFDS has confirmed its bidding in a Jersey-only ferry tender process. Meanwhile, there could be another week's delay to a winner being announced.

Danish firm DFDS has issued a statement this morning (20 November), saying it is fully prepared and capable of taking over the service.

Mathieu Girardin, Executive Vice President and Head of Ferry Division said:

"DFDS is a European leader in transport and logistics, with an annual revenue of GBP 3,4 bn and 17,000 full-time employees. DFDS was founded in 1866 and is Headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark. The company’s Ferry division operates in the Eastern Channel, Dieppe-New Haven, Irish Sea, North Sea, Baltic Sea, Strait of Gibraltar and Mediterranean Sea. 

“DFDS has 158 years of experience in high reliability and quality transport solutions for passengers and freight across Europe. DFDS is a listed company, in solid financial health, and operates more than 70 ferries including RoRo, RoPax and high speed crafts, giving us the right scale and investment capacity to provide Jersey with appropriate fleet for its ferry services in the coming 15 years."

Bosses are in the island this week to talk about the new tender with local stakeholders.  They say they would use vessels from its fleet.

“We understand the importance of a safe, reliable and efficient ferry service for islanders and businesses in Jersey, and we are confident in our ability to deliver this service."

DFDS says it has been asked, as part of the new tender process, to collect expressions of interest from tour operators that are planning for the summer season.

"The collected expressions of interest are to be handed over to the eventual winner of the tender."

The statement also confirms that DFDS has been in talks with both Jersey and Guernsey in the past months to prepare for contingency operators to preserve freight and passenger services 'should the incumbent operator fail to deliver before March 2025'.

Brittany Ferries confirmed yesterday it is bidding again in the Jersey-only process  - having already won the Guernsey contract.

Chairman Jean-Marc Roué hit back at 'damaging comments' about the finances of Condor Ferries and said it was 'prepared, ready and able and to serve Jersey."

"...never in our 52 year history have we abandoned a ferry line or a service to a region for lack of profitability.

“Our farmer-shareholders are responsible and are proud to be partners with the two major French regions of Brittany and Normandy. We are a highly-respected company and we entered this competition in good faith to continue our service to islanders.” 

Read: Brittany Ferries boss refutes 'damaging comments'

Economic Development Minister Kirsten Morel - who said DFDS had the better bid in the first failed tender process  - told a scrutiny hearing this is a fresh decision-making exercise. 

"I absolutely do not have a preference one way or another.

"This is a new process.  I have no idea what DFDS are going to bring forward in this one.  I have no idea what Brittany Ferries and Condor will bring forward in this one."

Deputy Morel also said he believed it was more likely a decision would be announced in the first week of December.

The Chief Minister had said it would be next week:

"The preferred operator will be announced week commencing Monday 25^th November."

Deputy Morel told scrutiny that is likely to slip by a week.

"To do it before then is going to be tough, we are going to try - that would be next week -I think it is much more likely to be the week after."