If the city of Dieppe is known to have benefited in the 19th century from the first railway line linking it to Paris, thereby creating a breath of fresh air for tourists and promoting the growth of its economic development, it is also a point of important passage thanks to its ferry line to Newhaven in England. Thus, 340,135 passengers, 126,593 passenger vehicles and 37,846 freight units made the crossing in 2019 (study carried out for the Department of Seine-Maritime between June 2019 and September 2020) on the Seven Sisters and the Côté d’Albâtre , the two sister ships operated by DFDS Seaways. Moreover, the SMPAT (Mixed union for the promotion of cross-Channel activity) has just renewed the public service delegation contract (DSP) with the Danish company for five years. Eleven million euros will also be invested in particular to improve the carbon footprint and to reduce fuel consumption.
Proud of the French and British flag
In Europe and Turkey, DFDS Seaways now has 65 ships and employs 13,500 people, including 1,250 in France. Established for ten years in Dieppe, the company has necessarily experienced complicated years with the epidemic crisis and Brexit. But, the beauty fixed in income in 2022 with an influx of tourists. This was explained on Tuesday January 3, two days after the start of the new DSP, the President Mathieu Girardin accompanied by his Director Jean-Claude Charlo during a visit to the Côte d’Albâtre in the presence of Bertrand Bellanger the President of the Department of Seine-Maritime who recalled “the importance of this line for Normandy. It must continue to develop in the face of competition from the ports of Dunkirk and Calais”.
To do this, DFDS Seaways is committed to improving the passenger experience and reducing its environmental impact. Already, before considering a change of engine, financed by the Normandy region, scrubbers (absorbers-neutralizers) have been installed on the chimneys of the ferries “to filter the exhaust fumes. In 2023, we are also going to paint the hulls of ships with a silicone coating which will improve water penetration and therefore reduce fuel consumption by 6% at a cost of 1.6 million euros. In addition, a space will be dedicated to drivers with forty private berths, therefore more cabins available to passengers (4.7 million euros) and the duty free area will be enlarged with more local products (4.7 million euros ). The works will be delivered at the end of 2024. We are also extending the night crossing by one hour for the sake of comfort and to reduce energy consumption. In addition, we are canceling dates in low season and conversely adding crossings in high season,” detailed Jean-Claude Charlo. The Director also added that during technical stops, a ship could serve as a training center for sailors from DFDS Seaways, “and probably others”.