Not ferries but deep-sea roro’s: The Neapolitan Group ordered six new roro multipurpose vessels to Hyundai Mipo Dockyard Co. Ltd (Ulsan).
Explaining to a local media the reorganization of the short sea network between Italy and Greece, Grimaldi Group revealed the project to launch new lines from the the port of Brindisi to the small islands of Corfù, Zante (Zakynthos) and Kefalonia.
The ropax link between Brindisi and Corfù had been already operated in the last few years, during the summer season.
Guido Grimaldi, commercial director of the short sea routes, specified that they are studying the project but all depends on the lifting of travel restrictions.
New freight activity on Algeria, Spain and Ireland.
“The pandemic makes diversification necessary, says Corsica Ferries Sardinia Ferries’ CEO Pierre Mattei.
Toulon – Algeria – Cartagena
Since several months a Corsica Ferries ship connects Toulon with Algeria for the export of new cars. The ferry is chartered by Toulon-based TAS.
As published earlier, CORSICA MARINA SECONDA (right on the picture) started to take trucks on the way back (from Cartagena to Toulon), avoiding the Sunday road ban and improving the environmental footprint.
Irish Sea
Pierre Mattei confirmed that MEGA EXPRESS FOUR (left on the picture) has been chartered for two months by Irish Ferries, for the routes from Ireland to the UK and to France.
How it is: a daily Ropax service Ancona – Igoumenitsa – Patras
How it will be: 5 ropax and 2 roro vessels
Ancona – Patras: 6x/week
Ropax 1: EUROPA PALACE (1,600 pax / 270 cars / 135 trailers)
Ropax 2: ZEUS PALACE (1,380 pax / 100 cars / 120 trailers) end of March (until then CRUISE BONARIA)
Ancona – Igoumenitsa: 7x/week
Ropax 3: FLORENCIA (950 pax / 160 cars / 135 trailers)
Ropax 4: CORFU (950 pax / 160 cars / 135 trailers)
Brindisi – Igoumenitsa: 7x/week
Ropax 5: EUROFERRY OLYMPIA
Venice – Bari – Patras: freight only 3x/week.
Roro 1
Roro 2
Grimaldi Group explains its strategy after some articles in the Greek press suggested a war
declared by the Grimaldi Group on the Italy-Greece Adriatic route, related to overcapacity on Piraeus – Crete.
Adriatic Sea
“The pandemic and the new market conditions asked for a radical reorganisation of its Adriatic services. Grimaldi split Ancona – Igoumenitsa – Patras into 2 services (Ancona – Igoumenitsa and Ancona – Patras).”
Grimaldi Group also removes its passenger service from Venice to Greece and dismisses its Brindisi-Patras ropax service by leaving only one vessel on Brindisi – Igoumenitsa.
Through this move the Grimaldi Group confirms its strategy of “competing in a serious and responsible way, sometimes removing tonnage if necessary, but always aiming at offering top quality services to its customers.” Adjusting capacity to the market conditions, or what the company wants to say is that there is one ship too much on the Piraeus – Crete line.
Crete
Its brand Minoan has 3 vessels: KNOSSOS PALACE and FESTOS PALACE on Piraeus – Heraklion and KYDON PALACE on Piraeus – Chania.
Competitor Attica – ANEK joint venture operates with 4 vessels: BLUE HORIZON and KRITI 1 on Piraeus-Heraklion land BLUE GALAXY and ELYROS on Piraeus – Chania.
Attica – ANEK joint venture should sail with 3, not 4 ships, says Grimaldi Group.
From the second half of February the cruise ferries CRUISE SARDEGNA and CRUISE EUROPA will be deployed on Livorno – Olbia.
Result: In a single journey between the two ports, the company will be able to carry over 1,000 passengers, 120 cars and 65 trailers more than what it has guaranteed so far.
How is it now?
- Presently Livorno – Olbia is being served by CRUISE OLBIA and CRUISE AUSONIA
- CRUISE EUROPA and CRUISE SARDEGNA (actually sailing under the name of CRUISE OLYMPIA) are actually sailing on the route Ancona – Igoumenitsa – Patras route for Grimaldi Minoan Lines.
How will the Grimaldi fleet be reshuffled?
- Livorno – Palermo: CRUISE SMERALDA and CRUISE AUSONIA
- Livorno – Olbia: CRUISE SARDEGNA (ex OLYMPIA) and CRUISE EUROPA
- Civitavecchia – Olbia: CRUISE BONARIA
- Ancona – Igoumenitsa – Patras: CRUISE OLBIA and ZEUS PALACE
- Brindisi – Greece: EUROFERRY OLYMPIA and FLORENCIA
Competitor on Livorno – Olbia: Moby Lines / Tirrenia
Grimaldi Group took delivery of ECO VALENCIA, the first of 12 hybrid roro ships (of which 3 are for Finnlines) part of the new Grimaldi Green 5th Generation class built in China by Nanjing Jinling Shipyard.
- The vessel will be deployed on the motorways of the seas between Italy and Spain linking Livorno, Savona, Barcelona and Valencia ports
- Length 238m / beam 34m / gross tonnage 64,000 / 7,800 lane meters
- The design of the newbuilds was developed by the Technical and Energy Saving Department of the Grimaldi Group together with Knud E. Hansen in close cooperation with the shipyard
- Classified “Green Plus”, which recognizes the environmental sustainability and performance
- The vessel also obtained the AIR-LUB notation for her innovative air lubrification system
The Grimaldi Group has recently published its 2019 Sustainability Report, describing its economic, social and environmental performance and emphasizing the process of reporting and transparent management of sustainability issues which started in 2015.
In 2019, the Group’s turnover exceeded € 3 billion for the second year in a row, with an increase of over € 100 million compared to 2018 (+4%) and a significant increase of its EBITDA (approximately +24%).
Over 80% of the economic value generated was distributed among suppliers, employees, lenders, the Public Administration and the community.
The strength of the Grimaldi Group is the efficiency of its fleet made up of over 130 ships – of which 118 owned – designed and optimized to transport any type of rolling cargo, containers and passengers, with an average age of around 14 years, significantly below the industry average and the useful life of ships.
Grimaldi Group Interested in the Privatization of the Port of Igoumenitsa
Grimaldi Group revealed to Ferry Shipping News its interest to take over the Greek port of Igoumenitsa.
As of today, Grimaldi Lines and also Minoan Lines offer maritime links between this port and the Italian ports of Brindisi, Ancona and Venice.
The interest of the Italian group Grimaldi for the Port of Igoumenitsa was officially confirmed by the head of the group, Mr. Emanuele Grimaldi, during his recent visit in Athens, on the occasion of the introduction of KYDON PALACE on the Piraeus-Chania line.
Mr. Grimaldi had the opportunity to meet in person with the Minister of Shipping and Island Policy Mr. Giannis Plakiotakis, in whom he expressed his interest to participate in the international tender that will be announced soon by the Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund (HRADF), since among the activities of the Italian group is also the port facility management.
The HRADF is expected to announce the tenders for the ports of Alexandroupolis, Kavala (Philip II pier) and Igoumenitsa in the near future. For the first two ports there has been a strong American interest, while for the port of Igoumenitsa there is a clear interest from the Grimaldi group as it connects Greece with Italy.
In a short-term period also the HRADF is expected to announce tender for the port of Heraklion, which is also the headquarters of Minoan Lines, a subsidiary of the Italian group.
Emanuele Grimaldi, CEO of Grimaldi Group, exclusively announced to Ferry Shipping News that his company has formally opposed the financial measures decided in Italy and in Finland to support some ferry competitors.
“We have formally contested, both on the local market and in Europe, those measures aimed at giving financial support specifically to some companies and which is selective, discriminatory and capable of distorting competition” Grimaldi said.
Legal actions have been promoted and addressed to Rome and Bruxelles for the EUR 72 million public subsidies extended by the Italian government to Compagnia Italiana di Navigazione (part of Onorato Armatori and operating Tirrenia’s fleet and routes) until 18 July 2021.
A similar action was taken in Finland against the National Emergency Supply Agency which “has already granted financial support to four out of seven commercial operators securing the main maritime bridges for rubber-tired vehicles. Finnlines has also filed an application under this same emergency financial support programme but up to know we did not receive any public aid”. For this reason, Grimaldi sent a letter to the European Union Directorate-General for Competition accusing Finland’s government of providing selective assistance to five ferry operators that compete with Finnlines.
In an interview published in the Wall Street Journal, the Italian owner further added: “Those who are not strong enough to survive should be incorporated by those who are strong. That’s the way it should work, but with the pandemic, it’s not. I’ve never seen so much state interference in shipping,” Grimaldi concluded.
