EQT Infrastructure, the Stockholm-based owner of the Danish ferry line since 2021, has entered into a definitive agreement with Igneo Infrastructure Partners, who own ForSea.
The transaction is subject to the approval of the Swedish and Danish competition authorities and is expected to close in early 2023. The parties have agreed not to disclose the sale price.
ForSea operates on the Helsingør-Helsingborg service with five ferries (including two already and one soon-to-be electric), carrying about six million passengers, one million of their cars, and 450 thousand trucks per year.
"We are incredibly proud of what ForSea has become and achieved under our eight-year ownership. A global sector leader within decarbonisation, a strong and resilient business able to withstand pandemics, and a modern and reliable infrastructure operator. ForSea has a great future ahead of it," Hamish Lea-Wilson, Partner at Igneo Infrastructure Partners, commented.
Carl Sjölund, Responsible Partner at EQT, said, "We see the ferry connection ForSea as a leading player in the Nordic transport market and part of the critical transport infrastructure. Its floating bridges connect large domestic population centers and businesses in Europe and unite Sweden with the continent. ForSea's investments in sustainability as a leading operator of electric ferries are fully in line with EQT's investment mandate. We look forward to continuing to invest in ForSea and support the company on its sustainability journey."
"ForSea is an attractive and well-managed ferry company. Similarly, ForSea and Molslinjen are both important transport links in the Nordics with a very complementary range of services and expertise within their respective organisations. We look forward to a close collaboration between Molslinjen and ForSea where we can exchange lessons and continue the growth journey towards a sustainable leading player in the region," Carsten Jensen, Molslinjen's CEO, highlighted.
Kristian Durhuus, ForSea's CEO, also underlined, "ForSea is a leader in its industry and shows that it is possible to run a sustainable ferry line which at the same time creates excellent results. Sustainable transport is the model of the future and ForSea will continue the work of leading the way for the green journey."
Together with other brands (Bornholmslinjen, Langelandslinjen, and Alslinjen), Molslinjen serves seven ferry routes in the Baltic, commanding a fleet of 11 vessels that offer room for over 10k passengers and almost 7.0k lane metres for wheeled cargo.
Photo: ForSea/Anders Ebefeldt