After two failed attempts of public tenders for the maritime continuity on the Civitavecchia – Arbatax – Cagliari route between Sardinia island and Italy mainland, the Italian transport ministry is desperately trying to reactivate the line which had been operated by Tirrenia Cin until last September 15th.
Once the subsidised period expired, the Moby-controlled company stopped the service and now the local government is talking with all the ferry companies potentially interested at operating the line.
It seems among them there is also Corsica Ferries which expressed its interest in partnership with Grendi Trasporti Marittimi, but also Grimaldi, Grandi Navi Veloci and Tirrenia Cin are in talks with the ministry.
Both the previous public tenders failed for several reasons, both financial (not enough public money offered) and operative since the requested stop in the port of Arbatax is considered inefficient and worthless by the companies.
Following some news reported by Italian financial media (MF-MilanoFinanza), Emanuele Grimaldi confirmed to Ferry Shipping News the interest in Attica, in case the Greek ferry company will be put up for sale by Marfin Investment Group.
“It’s a widely known fact that our group looks at consolidating as much as possible the roro and ropax market, also in Greece. Therefore I can say that obviously we have an interest for Attica Group or for some of the lines operated,” said the Naples-based shipowner.
Taking over only some routes and vessels controlled by Attica (as it has happened with Trasmediterranea’s lines with the Balearic Islands) might be the right way to overcome potential limits from the antitrust authorities.
Mr Grimaldi also confirmed the Minoan participated as leading company, but with other players, in the privatisation process of the ports of Heraklion and Igoumenitsa.
Electric ferry HEILHORN is being tested during the night, taking over from LYSINGEN.
HEILHORN is a hybrid electric ferry. (delivered 2020 / 84.30m / 199 pax / 60 cars)
In a third review of its budget, the Åland Government has allocated four million euros for a second-hand ferry for the Åva – Osnäs line.
The vessel will be put into service in 2023, as soon as the port of Åva is completed.
The procurement of the ferry is already in the final stages, writes Nya Åland.
The UK is to delay introducing post-Brexit checks on food and farming imports to England, Scotland and Wales, blaming Covid disruption and pressure on global supply chains, writes the BBC.
Since arriving off Sri Lanka on August 27, the former ropax ferry PETERSBURG, MUKRAN has become a straying ship [MarineTraffic]
She is wandering in the Indian Ocean, successively heading east, west, north, south and drifting. Her owner no longer seems to know what to do with her. DEEP ONE does not leave international waters. Currently, her theoretical destination is Singapore. She has been at sea for 55 days and has sailed almost 10,000 km.
The vessel was transformed into a floating water-making factory. Eventually she escaped from arrest in Sète, France.
Two months after the opening of the new lines in the Balearics, GNV announces the new connection from Barcelona with Ciutadella de Menorca (via Palma de Mallorca) with GNV SEALAND (2,255 lane metres and 195 cars, 880 pax).
GNV BRIDGE (delivered June 2021, with 2,564 lane metres and 157 cabins) will operate the connections between Valencia, Palma de Mallorca and Ibiza.
GNV has scheduled departures every day between the ports of Barcelona and Valencia, and Palma de Mallorca and Ibiza, in addition to the direct connection between Palma de Mallorca and Ibiza.
Purchasing individual routes is possible.
As from this week, ropax SAGA owned by Stena is back on the market, available for charter. The two-month lasting agreement with the Ancona-based ferry company Adria Ferries has just expired and the ship is now positioned in the southern part of the Adriatic Sea waiting for instructions.
For the last two months SAGA has been deployed on the route linking Italy (Ancona) with the port of Durrës, in Albania.
