From 17 October the Group will boost its presence in Sicily and in the Neapolitan port, with a new three-weekly service for the transport of passengers and freight.
Ropax will be CRUISE AUSONIA.
This will be in competition with GNV and Tirrenia.
At the occasion of the XXV Euromed Convention held in Sorrento, small village not far from Naples, where Gianluigi Aponte (MSC) was born, the Grimaldi Group made some interesting announcements.
2 more GG5Gs
CEO Emanuele Grimaldi revealed that a new order for further two GG5G roro ships has been signed with Jinling shipyard, taking the total number of ships of this project to 14.
The next two will cost roughly $100m each, some 30% more than the first 12 ordered in 2018 for $66m per unit.
10 more PCTCs
Grimaldi also confirmed that before the end of the current month, another order for 10 Pure Car Truck Carriers will be signed with a shipyard part of the China Merchants group for a contract worth $1billion and with delivery expected from 2025 onwards.
Far East
After having consolidated its market position in the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, North and West Africa and the east Coast of America, Grimaldi Group started covering the Far East to Europe route with car carriers following the demand and strong interest coming from various car manufacturers. At least 7 ships will be deployed on the new line calling the ports of Busan (South Korea), Singapore, Shanghai, Tianjin and Guangzhou (China), Chiba (Giappone), Port Kembla and Brisbane (Australia), Dammam and Jeddah (Saudi Arabia), connected with Gioia Tauro in Italy and Antwerp in Belgium.
Roro > Ropax
As for the local ferry market in Italy Emanuele Grimaldi anticipated the intention to extend to the passenger transport the lines currently operated only for roro freight traffic between the ports of Naples, Palermo and Cagliari.
Attica-Anek Lines agreement
“Wait and see” said CEO Emanuele Grimaldi. He does not consider the agreement finished since the decision of the Competition Commission is pending.
Buying Attica?
To the question about whether he would be interested in buying Attica Group, sometime in the future, he said that “We have not heard of Attica being sold. In any case, for there to be a buyer, there must also be someone to sell.”
However, in such a hypothetical deal, he hinted that there would be an issue with the Competition Commission and the anti-trust law.
Greek ports
About the ports of Igoumenitsa and Heraklion that Grimaldi Group is interested in, he mentioned: “Many people think we play aggressively. But the reality is that we play defence. Because in both ports, Grimaldi Group is the big customer. Some 60% of the port of Igoumenitsa’s revenue comes from us.
So, what we are trying to do by participating in both tenders for the ports of Igoumenitsa and Heraklion, is to protect our investments.
Unlike to other financial investors, the Grimaldi Group does not seek profit nor does it intend to increase fares. I am the biggest user of these ports and want to see them grow and improve their services.”
Especially in Igoumenitsa his plans include the development of trade roads around the axis of Egnatia motorway, while at the port of Heraklion he underlined that Minoan Lines has significant presence.
- Grimaldi Group controlled company Trasmed Gle started a new Motorway of the Seas between Spain and Italy, more specifically linking the ports of Sagunto, Palma de Mallorca and Salerno.
- The vessels deployed are the new 7,800 lane metre ECO MEDITERRANEA and ECO ADRIATICA.
- Frequency: twice weekly.
Given the current economic and political instability, and “despite upheavals and thanks to both the diversity of our fleet and markets served and the efforts of employees onshore and at sea” Grimaldi Group registered record results in 2021.
Consolidated turnover came in at EUR 3.46 billion, significantly up on the EUR 2.78 billion seen in 2020.
EBITDA came in at EUR 947 million, up from EUR 659 million the previous year, while equity increased to EUR 4.45 billion.
The Naples-based group informed that Trans-Atlantic operator ACL and the Grimaldi deep-sea services to West Africa and South America generated exceptionally good results amid high rates for the carriage of containers, in particular. But even the Grimaldi EuroMed services were successful, despite the microchip crisis and passenger transport limitations imposed by the pandemic.
Both Aegean operator Minoan Lines and Trasmed, the latter active on the Continental Spain-Balearic Islands routes, contributed to the 2021 EBITDA.
“Given, what is more, the very good result of the first quarter of this year, it is with positivity and confidence that we look to the future” Grimaldi also added. Specifying that by the end of 2024, the group will have taken delivery of another 14 newbuilds.
Scandinavian Auto Logistics and the Port of Esbjerg are working together to develop a new RoRo terminal concept. Named ‘Flexible Multi-Terminal’ by the partners, it will be capable of handling cars, trailers, containers and heavy cargoes.
Scandinavian Auto Logistics is majority-owned by the Grimaldi Group.
Grimaldi Euromed has been awarded the subsidized line between Sardinia and Italy mainland, more specifically connecting the ports of Civitavecchia, Arbatax and Cagliari.
Ropax CATANIA has been operating the route for the last 6 months and will be deployed for the next 12 months.
The tender launched earlies this year from the Italy’s transport ministry was for a regular link to be served for 12 months with one ro-pax ship aged less than 30 years and capable of transporting no less than 600 passengers and 820 lane metres ro-ro cargo.
Tender price was fixed at EUR 13 million.
A few days after the refusal expressed by the port of Genoa to handle passenger traffic to and from the Terminal San Giorgio, Grimaldi Group announced a new line between the ports of Savona and Porto Torres, in Sardinia, operated with the ferry ZEUS PALACE.
ZEUS PALACE is moving from the Patras-Ancona route.
It’s the first time for the Naples-based shipping line to operate a regular maritime transport service focused on passenger traffic as in the recent past the same route was covered but for roro only.
The new Savona-Porto Torres link will be effective from April 11th with three sailing per week soon to be upgraded to a daily frequency in July, August and until mid-September.
Three ferry operators —Attica Group, ANEK and Grimaldi— are expected to compete for the privatisation of the three ports: Igoumenitsa, Patras and Heraklion.
In brief:
- Grimaldi Group controls Minoan Lines and seek to acquire a port in order to form a bridge between the Adriatic Sea services and Crete.
- The Port Authority of Thessaloniki (PAT/Ivan Savvidis’ Group) is strongly interested in the port of Igoumenitsa, as it considers it of great importance for its strategic expansion and development.
- Greek Ferry Operators seek to control either the port of Igoumenitsa or Patras in order to exert pressure on Grimaldi in Heraklion.
- Grimaldi is interested in both ports (Heraklion, Igoumenitsa) and possibly will be interested in Patras as well. However, there will be a competition issue if they eventually control the port of Igoumenitsa.
Regarding the investors’ participating in the privatisation process for the three ports:
- For the 67% of the Igoumenitsa Port Authority qualified Attica Group, Portek International, Quintana, Aegean Oil, Archirodon joint venture with ANEK and Trident Hellas, Grimaldi Euromed consortium with Minoan Lines and the Port Authority of Thessaloniki.
- For the 67% of the Port of Heraklion, the deadline for the investors’ interest expires on September 17, 2021. Active interest has already expressed by Greek cruise companies, the Greek Group AVIAREPS (G. Grylos), Grimaldi Group, Attica Group, GEK TERNA and the Port Authority of Thessaloniki.
- The tender process for the port of Patras has not started yet.
Source: Spyros Roussos and Kathimerini newspaper 25 August 2021
- GNV and Grimaldi Holding signed a 3-year bareboat charter for FORZA and TENACIA.
- Option 1+1 years
- Both ferries have been operating 10 months for GNV, in sub-charter from Trasmediterranea.
- Ferry Shipping News understands that, practically, it will be an extension of the current charters, even if this new agreement involves directly Grimaldi Holding and MSC-controlled GNV.
- Daily rates for each bareboat charter should be around EUR 15,000 and there are no purchase options.
- TENACIA and FORZA both have capacity of 2,000 lane meters and 1,000 passengers and are currently deployed on the routes linking Italy mainland to Sicily and Sardinia.
