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:
Regarding the investors’ participating in the privatisation process for the three ports:
Source: Spyros Roussos and Kathimerini newspaper 25 August 2021
Grimaldi Adds Zeebrugge to its Belgium – Ireland Service
At the beginning of May, Grimaldi started a twice-weekly roro service between Antwerp and Cork, with EUROCARGO BARI as route vessel.
Now, since Saturday 24 July, the ship calls twice a week in Zeebrugge, and once a week in Antwerp.
Zeebrugge was already connected with Cork, by the service from CLdN.
Interesting is the cooperation between Grimaldi and P&O Ferries.
In the port of Zeebrugge, the Grimaldi ship calls at the terminal of P&O Ferries.
The press release states that, “the cooperation with P&O Ferries will be extended to commercial activity as well.”
Three of the main players active on the local ferry market will cooperate to provide regular maritime links between Sardinia (Olbia) and mainland Italy (Civitavecchia) under the next maritime continuity scheme.
Following a dedicated tender launched earlier this year, the transport ministry accepted the proposal received by Tirrenia Cin, Grimaldi Group and Grandi Navi Veloci which decided to share the losses expected for the winter period (from October to May) but in change they will be the only three operators authorized to serve the same link during the summer season.
More specifically Compagnia Italiana di Navigazione (Moby group) will be the company which operates the route from October to May.
Last week Grimaldi announced the start of an Antwerp – Cork roro feeder service.
Now CLdN says it will increase sailings between the Continent and Ireland, from eight to ten in each direction, on a weekly basis.
Grimaldi launches a twice-weekly feeder ro-ro service between Antwerp and Cork, as from the beginning of May.
Antwerp is Grimaldi’s main hub in the North of Europe.
Grimaldi Group has been operating in the Republic of Ireland for nearly 25 years with ConRo vessels, linking Cork to Northern Europe and the Mediterranean and, through transhipment in Antwerp to destinations in North and South America, West Africa and Russia.
Through its subsidiary Euromed Ireland Logistics Ltd (EMIL), the Grimaldi Group runs its fully equipped ro-ro/multipurpose terminal at Ringaskiddy (Cork).
The vessel deployed on the Antwerp-Cork service will be the Italian-flagged ro-ro unit EUROCARGO BARI (3,850 lane metres + 200 cars).
The Group plans to add capacity and frequency in the near future.
Grimaldi’s Ro-Pax Terminal Won Against Porto Livorno 2000 in the Port of Livorno
The regional administrative court in Tuscany stated this week that Grimaldi-participated terminal Sintermar Darsena Toscana can also handle passengers in the port of Livorno, thus rejecting the appeal from Porto Livorno 2000 (the passenger terminal controlled by Moby and with the participation from MSC).
Porto Livorno 2000 considered itself the only terminal operator of the port with the authorization to handle passengers from cruise vessels and ferries. Therefore it opposed the concession released in the recent past by the local port authority for a second ro-pax terminal to Sintermar Darsena Toscana.
The administrative regional court stated that Porto Livorno 2000 cannot be the only passenger terminal of the port recalling also the national and EU competition rules.
Grimaldi offers regular ro-pax services from Livorno to Sardinia and to Barcelona in Spain.
