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The Danish shipping giant competing against Condor for the island's key ferry contract has confirmed its interest in the new tender process – and said it is capable of taking over operations "immediately" if required.
Breaking its silence on the latest developments in Jersey's troubled quest to decide which operator to award the new 15-year contract, DFDS said it was "fully prepared and capable" of running the service.
The announcement came just hours after Economic Development Minister Kirsten Morel faced scrutiny over the collapse of the initial pan-island tender process and the lack of a decision so far.
During an hour-long hearing Deputy Morel answered questions around the multiple setbacks that have plagued the saga so far, including when Guernsey announced that it was going it alone with Condor's parent company Brittany Ferries as its preferred operator.
He told the Economic and International Affairs Scrutiny Panel that, following the launch of the new Jersey-only tender process, a decision is expected by the first week of December.
Pictured: Economic Development Minister Kirsten Morel said a decision on which operator has won the new contract is expected at the start of December.
In a statement released this morning, DFDS confirmed its interest in the new tender process and revealed its managers are in Jersey this week "to discuss the new tender with local stakeholders".
The ferry operator added that, despite the shorter timeline, it was "prepared to take over the ferry services" for Jersey at the end of March, which is when Condor's current agreement will end.
DFDS also said it had been engaged in discussions with both Jersey and Guernsey regarding contingency measures for "lifeline" freight and passenger services, "should the incumbent operator fail to deliver before March 2025".
"This means that DFDS is able to takeover Jersey ferry operations immediately, if required," the statement continued.
Pictured: DFDS is competing against Condor for Jersey's new ferry services contract.
Mathieu Girardin, the operator's executive vice-president and head of its ferry division, said: "“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."
Such comments contradict those made by Guernsey's Economic Development President Neil Inder, who claimed that DFDS "didn't have a fleet that it could mobilise", with Condor later asking if other operators had intended to use its boats.
But Deputy Morel told the States Assembly last week that DFDS named a primary fleet which was not based on Condor's boats, part of which was due to be chartered – and that the Danish firm had provided "letters of charter" to prove they would have immediate access to those vessels.
DFDS vice-president for the Channel and Baltics, Filip Werne Hermann, said: "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."
He added that the shipping firm was yet to receive clarifications regarding the reasons for its disqualification in the previous tender process, which Deputy Morel had previously told the Assembly was due to a “technical legal point”.
Pictured: DFDS Channel and Baltics vice-president Filip Werne Hermann said the operator was "confident" it could deliver the service.
Mr Hermann continued: "We are fully prepared and capable of taking over the ferry service if we are awarded the tender, and we are looking forward to working with all stakeholders."
The operator also said that Jersey's government had asked it to collect "expressions of interest" from tour operators that are planning for the summer season "in support of the tourism industry".
"The collected expressions of interest are to be handed over to the eventual winner of the tender."
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