Case Studies for Anek-Attica Group and Grimaldi Group

By | 2021 Newsletter week 40 | No Comments

According to an article published in the Greek Mononews there will be further developments for the future of ANEK LINES and the Hellenic Coastal Lines in general. The basic points underlined are:

  • Piraeus Bank, wants to speed up the procedures and seeks to fully regulate its relations with the ferry companies
  • The basic scenario includes three phases and will proceed if only a solution found with ANEK LINES’ loan obligations
  • ANEK LINES loan obligations amount to 255 million euros, while the total borrowing of Attica Group amounts to 452.77 million euros
  • Attica Group is raising the issue of writing off 50% of ANEK’s short-term loans in order to proceed to the unification with ANEK LINES, as currently cannot incorporate both companies’ obligations and be viable at the same time
  • If the issue of the cancellation of ANEK’s obligations is overcome then there should be a guarantee of the rights of the traditional shareholders of ANEK in the new scheme
  • Then the scenario predicts that after the unification, the enlarged Attica Group will be sold to foreign Funds
  • Next, the scenario envisages the split of the Attica Group and the purchase by the Emmanuele Grimaldi group of ships operating on the Adriatic line plus some ships on the line of Crete and the Aegean.

Grimaldi Group Enters Balearic Market Through Armas Trasmediterránea

By | 2021 Newsletter week 15 | No Comments

Antonio Armas and Emanuele Grimaldi (on the horse) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the sale of certain assets and property rights of the Spanish group in Spain, as a first step for a collaboration.

Grimaldi Group will acquire:

  • 5 ropax ferries (CIUDAD DE PALMA, CIUDAD DE GRANADA, CIUDAD DE MAHÓN, VOLCÁN DEL TEIDE and VOLCÁN DE TIJARAFE)
  • 2 two terminals in the ports of Valencia and Barcelona
  • Offices and warehouses located on the islands of Mallorca, Menorca and Ibiza.
  • The rights to operate between Mainland Spain and the Balearic Islands for the transport of goods and passengers on the sea routes Barcelona – Mahon (Menorca), Barcelona – Palma de Mallorca, Barcelona – Ibiza, Valencia – Mahon, Valencia – Palma de Mallorca and Valencia – Ibiza.
  • Various warehouses, offices and ticket offices in Valencia, Palma de Mallorca, Mahon and Ibiza.

Grimaldi Looking At The Possibility To Link Ionian Islands With Brindisi

By | 2021 Newsletter week 7 | No Comments

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.

Corsica Ferries Adapts Through Diversification

By | 2021 Newsletter week 6 | No Comments

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.

Grimaldi Group Splits Ancona – Greece, Introducing Separate Links To Igoumenitsa And To Patras

By | 2021 Newsletter week 6 | No Comments

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 Greek Reshuffle

By | 2021 Newsletter week 6 | No Comments

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.

Grimaldi Group Boosts the Livorno – Olbia RoPax Connection

By | 2021 Newsletter week 5 | No Comments

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 the New RoRo ECO VALENCIA

By | 2020 Newsletter week 43 | No Comments

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

Grimaldi Group Sustainability Report 2019

By | 2020 Newsletter week 33 | No Comments

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.