Creta Cargo Lines’ RoRo AGIOS GEORGIOS (ex-OLYMPUS) is expected to enter service on the Piraeus – Santorini – Heraklion line on July 3, 2023.
The Japanese-built ship is still undergoing her refit at Spanopoulos shipyards and she will be the 4th vessel on the Creta Cargo’s fleet.
Photo: Kostas Papadopoulos
On 20 February Creta Cargo Lines’ ro-ro ORION (the former ORCADIA and SATURN) made her debut on the Lavrion – Naxos line.
The handy size vessel is expected to support the other vessels of the Cretan Company’s fleet (TALOS and IOSIF K.) on domestic ferry services. The company mainly transports trucks and dangerous freight to the smaller and difficult ports of Cyclades Islands.
Photo: Kostas Papadopoulos
The European Commission has approved, under EU State aid rules, a EUR 500 million Italian scheme to help companies in the maritime transport sector to acquire clean and zero-emission vessels, as well as to retrofit more polluting vessels. The measure contributes to the achievement of the objectives of the Commission’s European Green Deal and ‘Fit for 55′ package.
The Italian scheme
The scheme notified by Italy, with a budget of EUR 500 million, will be funded through its Complementary Fund set up with national resources to supplement Italy’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan as part of a broader strategy to modernise the country’s economy.
The scheme is aimed at encouraging shipping companies to replace existing vessels with low environmental performance, and to reduce the use of fossil-based fuels in the maritime transport sector. The scheme will support projects increasing the environmental performance and energy efficiency of vessels operating long, medium and short sea services for passenger, freight and combined transport, as well as of other vessels operating in Italian ports.
In particular, the aid will support the acquisition of clean and zero-emission vessels, including vessels powered by electricity and hydrogen, and the retrofitting of vessels.
The scheme will be open to shipping companies registered in Italy that provide maritime transport connections between an Italian port and European and/or Mediterranean ports, or operate within Italian ports.
The aid will take the form of direct grants. The maximum aid amount per beneficiary is 40% of the eligible costs, which may be increased up to 60% for small and medium-sized enterprises and to 45% for projects concerning zero-emission vessels.
Creta Cargo Lines RoRo ORION successfully underwent her sea trials at the end of October 2022. The small ship was purchased in December 2021 from Scottish Pentland Ferry and converted as a full roro vessel at the Spanopoulos Shipyards.
ORION is the 4th vessel of the Cretan-based company and will enhance its presence in the domestic roro market.
Creta Cargo Lines was founded in 2013 and has been continuously developing since then. Today it is a stable partner of the largest companies in the field of energy, as well as a critical transport channel for the Aegean islands, transporting unique and dangerous freight as well, in regular routes with its privately owned roro ferries (TALOS and IOSIF K.).
Photo: Kostas Papadopoulos
On 23 September, Creta Cargo Lines’ third roro vessel IOSIF K (ex- NORWEGIAN CHALLENGER), entered service, replacing her fleetmate TALOS, which will be disengaged for scheduled repairs.
IOSIF K was purchased at the end of 2019 from the Lebanese Bekaa Dream Shipping and then transferred at the Spanopoulos shipyard for rebuilding.
