From 9 to 12: Liberty Lines orders three extra fast ferries with Armon

By | 2023 Newsletter week 1 | No Comments

The Trapani-based fast ferry company Liberty Lines controlled by the Morace family announced to have already exercised an option for adding three more new buildings taking to 12 the order with the Spanish shipyard Armon for the construction of hybrid high-speed crafts to be delivered between 2023 and 2026.

The contract includes other options for the construction of further 6 more vessels to be delivered between 2027 and 2030.

These first 12 units are awarded of EUR 23.4 million in public subsidies from the Italian fleet renewal plan approved by the European Commission and part of the Eu Next Gen program.

All the series of new fast ferries will be equipped with an integrated propulsion system including MTU Series 4000 engines by Rolls-Royce, which will be supplying both traditional and electric propulsion; they are the result of intense cooperation between the technical offices of Liberty Lines, Armon shipyard, Rolls-Royce, RINA and Incat Crowther.

Green Orca’s for Liberty Lines

By | 2022 Newsletter week 48 | No Comments

EST-Floattech recently signed a long-term framework contract with Rolls-Royce Power Systems for the ‘Green Orca 1050’ battery module onboard 9 newbuild ferries and 1 mega yacht.

The first order of the new partnership are the lithium polymer battery modules of the ‘Green Orca 1050’ series as part of 9 hybrid fast ferries of Italian operator Liberty Lines equipped with mtu hybrid propulsion packs supplied by Rolls-Royce Power Systems.

The sister vessels of identical design will be built at the Spanish shipyard Armon between April 2023 and April 2024.

The vessels are scheduled to set sail between 2023 and 2026.

Majority of voting creditors said yes to Tirrenia Cin’s debt restructuring plan

By | 2022 Newsletter week 29 | No Comments

Moby Spa announced that “following the agreements reached with the main creditor of its

subsidiary CIN Spa, Tirrenia di Navigazione in Extraordinary Administration (Tirrenia in

A.S.), the Paraconcordatario Agreement was signed on July 14, 2022, the effectiveness of which is subject to the homologation by the Court of Milan.”

With the vote favourable expressed by Tirrenia in AS on the CIN Composition Plan both the

majority of voting creditors up to 96% and the majority of the voting classes of creditors were obtained, Moby specified.

Farewell to Vittorio Morace, founder of Ustica Lines (today Liberty Lines)

By | 2022 Newsletter week 29 | No Comments

Vittorio Morace, founder, and former chairman of the ferry company Liberty Lines (ex Ustica Lines), died at the age of 81.

He was born on May 21st, 1941, and during his career he has been probably the most important shipowner of highspeed vessels.

He started buying his first cargo ship in the 70’s and few years later was appointed managing director of Alilauro. In the 80’s he moved to Spain and there inaugurated the highspeed link to and from the Canary Islands. In the last decade of the past century, he was called from Carlo Rodriquez to take the helm of SNAV.

At the end of the ‘90s, Vittorio Morace founded Ustica Lines which is today the largest company in Italy active with highspeed craft to and from Sicily but also on the routes linking Italy to Croatia and Greece.

His sons Ettore Morace is CEO of the Spanish company Transmed Gle (part of Grimaldi Group) while Gianluca Morace heads BluNavy in Italy.

Ecospray launched three new carbon capture technologies in the maritime sector

By | 2022 Newsletter week 24 | No Comments

Reduction of CO2 emissions through the use of amines, calcium hydroxide or molten carbonate fuel cells: these are three innovative carbon capture technologies developed by Italy’s Ecospray for the marine sector, and presented in Genoa.

The announcement follows the interest for this solution express recently by shipping companies such as Grimaldi Group and Costa Cruises.

“Each one of the three technologies, which are at different stages of development, can be implemented in different contexts. Factors such as the size and type of ship, the route it sails and the space available on board have a major effect on the scope of application” Ecospray’s president Maurizio Archetti explained.

Liberty Lines and Caronte & Tourist the only bidders for the subsidized routes in Sicily

By | 2022 Newsletter week 23 | No Comments

Regione Siciliana received two offers following the public tender launched for the ferry links to and from the smaller islands surrounding Sicily. The contract is worth EUR 360 million for five years and it’s divided in two: EUR 210 million for highspeed maritime links and EUR 152 million for services operated with ropax units.

As for the highspeed routes, Liberty Lines emerged as the only participants, while Caronte & Tourist was the only company interested in the subsidised links to the Eolie, Egadi, Lampedusa and Linosa islands.

The last concession awarded saw Ustica Lines (former Liberty Lines), Caronte & Tourist and Siremar as the companies with the highest number of lines granted.

Liberty Lines ordered 9 (+9) hybrid fast ferries in Spain

By | 2022 Newsletter week 17 | No Comments

The shipping company Liberty Lines has signed a contract with the Spanish shipyard Armon for the construction of 9 hybrid high speed crafts to be delivered between 2023 and 2026.

The contract includes an option for the construction of 9 more vessels to be delivered between 2027 and 2030.

The innovative characteristics represent the result of an intense cooperation between the technical offices of Liberty Lines, Armon shipyard, Rolls-Royce, RINA and the Australian designers Incat Crowther.

Malta Shipbrokers International Ltd acted as a broker for the deal.

These newbuildings will be the first to obtain Rina Green Plus classification.

They will be equipped with an integrated propulsion system including MTU Series 4000 engines by Rolls-Royce, that will be supplying both traditional and electric propulsion.

This will allow to enter and exit the harbours producing zero emissions as the ships can navigate at a speed of 8 knots using full electric mode and 30 knots in cruise mode.

The batteries will be charged during the cruise by using the two main engines. In case of long period of stop over, the ship will use cold ironing to recharge the batteries and maintain active all the on board services.

Cypriot authorities will announce the ferry operator for the Piraeus-Cyprus line by the end of the month

By | 2022 Newsletter week 12 | No Comments

By the end of March, the Cypriot Evaluation Committee will announce the ferry operator for the subsidized Piraeus-Larnaca or Limassol line.

  • The specific ferry connection concerns 22 sailings without a stopover.
  • Itineraries will start in April or May and will end in September or October.
  • The one-way passenger ticket will cost 50 euros, while the 2-way ticket will be set at 80 euros.
  • Cars will be only accompanied and the price for the 2-way ticket will be 150 euros, while motorcycles will pay 100 euros. These prices are the highest that the shipowner can set, while based on the subsidy he has the right if he wants to reduce them in order to make the line more competitive.
  • The aim of the specific ferry connection is to provide alternative connectivity between Greece and Cyprus as at the moment it is served only by plane. It is worth noting that the last time there was a Cyprus-Greece ferry connection was 21 years ago.

Liberty Lines to restart a high-speed ferry line between Italy and Croatia

By | 2022 Newsletter week 12 | No Comments

The Sicilian ferry company Liberty Lines controlled by the Morace family announced that from the end of May (Saturday 28/5) it will operate a new maritime connection from Trieste to Istria and Mali Lošinj, thus saving tourists the usual queues to cross the borders between Italy, Slovenia and Croatia.

Regular daily services (with the exception of Tuesdays) will be guaranteed until September 25th with departures from the Pier IV in Trieste. On the route will be deployed the modern monohull fast ferry MARCO M.

For the Morace controlled company this represents a comeback since in the past, with the brand Trieste Lines, the group already operated a line from Trieste to Pula, Rovinj and Piran.

Liberty Lines to be awarded the high-speed maritime transport services in the Strait of Messina

By | 2022 Newsletter week 9 | No Comments

The Trapani-based ferry company Liberty Lines, controlled by the Morace family, is the only player which submitted an offer for the tender launched by Invitalia, on behalf of the Italian transport ministry. It was aimed at finding an operator for the regular high-speed ferry link between the ports of Reggio Calabria (Italy mainland) and Messina (Sicily region).

Public subsidies are worth almost EUR 37 million for five years.

Liberty Lines will have to offer regular shuttle services (up to 16 round trips from Monday to Friday) between Reggio Calabria and Messina taking half an hour on each direction to cover 18.1 miles distance with hydrofoils or high-speed crafts.