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Tag: Moby | Ferry Shipping News

Nov 06
3

Five RoPax Ships Put Up for Sale by Moby and CIN

By | 2025 Newsletter week 45 | No Comments

Following the green light from the Italian Antitrust Authority for the agreement that separates Moby from MSC and its ferry company GNV, the Onorato-controlled group moved immediately to sell five of its current vessels and use the proceeds to repay loans provided by MSC in 2023 to keep the company solvent.

To repay the debt, Moby has scheduled an online auction for next week, 12 November. Five of the company’s vessels will be offered in a single lot with a starting price of EUR 229.9 million. The auction lists five RoPax units: MOBY AKI and MOBY WONDER (to be chartered back to Moby for 15 years at a daily rate of EUR 15,000), MOBY ALE DUE, ATHARA, and JANAS.

Oct 31
3

MSC to Sell Back Its 49% in Moby After Action by Italy’s Antitrust Authority

By | 2025 Newsletter week 44 | No Comments

Gianluigi Aponte’s Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) has been forced to divest its 49% stake in Moby, the ferry company owned by the Onorato family operating between Italy and the islands of Corsica, Sardinia, and Sicily.

Italy’s Antitrust Authority announced on 24 October [in Italian] that it has accepted and made binding the commitments offered by MSC’s Shipping Agencies Services (SAS), Moby, and Grandi Navi Veloci (GNV), setting the terms of the divestment.

Under the settlement with the Competition Authority, SAS — a sub-holding of MSC — will transfer its 49% shareholding in Moby, free of charge, to Onorato Armatori, and will relinquish its pledge on the remaining 51%. The companies have also agreed to provide compensation to consumers who purchased tickets on Moby ferries.

It is also a setback for Moby, which has been ordered to repay the loan granted by Aponte’s group. The company announced a financial restructuring plan that includes the sale of assets. The proceeds will be used to repay the loan, while maintaining operations through charter-back agreements on some of the sold assets. If the proceeds are insufficient to cover the debt, the remaining amount will be transferred to independent third parties on terms safeguarding Moby’s financial stability.

The divestment is considered a win for the Grimaldi Group, which had challenged MSC’s investment in Moby on competition grounds.

Jul 18
3

Aponte to Re-Sell 49% of MOBY Back to Onorato

By | 2025 Newsletter week 29 | No Comments

The MSC Group, founded and controlled by Gianluigi Aponte, will sell back its 49% stake in MOBY to Onorato Armatori, the ferry company controlled by Vincenzo Onorato’s family. The move was disclosed by the Italian antitrust authority, following communications from SAS Shipping Agencies Services SARL, GNV (both part of the MSC Group), and MOBY.

This decision aims to pre-empt further action from the Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato, which last year launched an in-depth investigation into possible anti-competitive agreements between GNV and MOBY. The probe focused on four routes between mainland Italy and the islands of Sardinia and Sicily: Civitavecchia–Olbia, Genoa–Olbia, Genoa–Porto Torres, and Naples–Palermo.

MOBY also plans to repay the remaining portion of the €243 million loan it received in December 2023. Part of that loan was already reimbursed through the sale of its tug business in Sardinian ports and the transfer of the ferries SHARDEN and MOBY VINCI to GNV.

Aponte originally acquired the 49% stake in 2023, investing €150 million to rescue the Onorato-controlled company from bankruptcy and a concordato preventivo process at the Court of Milan.

Mar 02
3

Moby and Tirrenia CIN Merger Set to Take Shape in the Coming Months

By | 2025 Newsletter week 09 | No Comments

Moby Group’s top management has confirmed to labour unions that the long-planned merger of Compagnia Italiana di Navigazione (CIN) into Moby is progressing and is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

CIN, the vehicle company that owns the Tirrenia brand and assets, was established when the Onorato family acquired the former public ferry operator in 2012. A reverse merger was originally planned as part of the company’s restructuring, but it is only now taking shape.

The process may lead to the dismissal of around 30 administrative staff members.

Previously, CIN filed for restructuring at the Court of Milan alongside Moby. However, both companies are now financially stable. Once the merger is finalised, CIN and Tirrenia will cease to exist, leaving Moby—51% owned by the Onorato family and 49% by Aponte’s MSC—as the sole entity in the market. Moby will own and operate the fleet of ferries and tugs serving Italy’s short-sea market.

No further vessel sales or demolitions are planned in the coming months.

Jan 28
2

List and Price of Vessels Sold by Moby in 2024

By | 2025 Newsletter week 04 | No Comments

The latest financial report (2023), published by Moby this week, includes a complete and detailed list of vessels sold or disposed of by the Onorato-controlled company in the last 12 months:

  • RoRo ship PIETRO MANUNTA sold to Salem Al Makrani Cargo of Dubai for €7.7 million.
  • RoPax vessel MOBY VINCENT sold to Ship Recycling Investments Inc. for final scrapping at the SOK Denizcilik and Ticaret Limited Sti shipyard in Turkey for $2.2 million.
  • Ferry BASTIA sold to Alilauro Gruson for €854,000.
  • RoPax MOBY CORSE sold to Ferry Med Srl for €6.2 million.
  • Ferry MOBY ALE sold to Ship Recycling Investments Inc. for €873,000.

After completing its financial restructuring and debt settlement a year ago, Moby has filed its 2023 financial report, showing its first profit in years. The company reported a net profit of €371 million, largely due to debt write-offs of about €285 million from the settlement process concluded in January 2024.

Revenues grew to €242 million in 2023 (up from €211 million in 2022), and EBITDA turned positive at nearly €8 million, recovering from a €26 million loss the previous year.

(Source: Shipping Italy)

Sep 20
3

MOBY CORSE sold and expected to be deployed on the Spain – Algeria routes

By | 2024 Newsletter week 38 | No Comments

Moby is advancing its fleet renovation plan with the sale of the ageing RoPax ferry MOBY CORSE. Sources familiar with the matter told Ferry Shipping News that the Onorato family-controlled company has recently signed a Memorandum of Agreement for the sale of the 1978-built vessel to a company with Croatian interests. 

The vessel is expected to be chartered out to a third company, with Nouris Elbahr Ferries possibly being the party involved, for deployment on a regular route between Spain and Algeria. (=unconfirmed!) 

The sale price is believed to be under €8 million. 

Built by the Danish shipyard Aalborg and delivered in 1978, the MOBY CORSE was purchased by Vincenzo Onorato in 2009 for approximately €7 million, to penetrate the Corsican market on the Toulon-Bastia route. The ferry is 153 metres long and has the capacity to carry 400 cars and 1,120 passengers. 

Aug 02
2

Moby returns the RoRo vessels ALF POLLAK and MARIA GRAZIA ONORATO to Siem

By | 2024 Newsletter week 31 | No Comments

Both RoRo ships ALF POLLAK and MARIA GRAZIA ONORATO will be redelivered by the long-time charterer Fratelli Onorato Armatori (Moby) to the owner Siem (Seven Yield Pte Ltd., a company in the SIEM Group).  

 Sources familiar with the matter confirmed to Ferry Shipping News that a legal dispute between the two companies has been closed with an agreement. 

 MARIA GRAZIA ONORATO and ALF POLLAK are to be renamed respectively LONGSTONE and LISMORE. 

 SIEM Ship Management now takes care of the management.  

 Moby subchartered the vessels to DFDS, which is likely to remain the commercial operator of the ships. Currently the vessels operate on the routes between Turkey and France/Italy. 

Jun 28
2

BREAKING NEWS | Attica Group invests in green transition and fleet renewal

By | 2024 Newsletter week 26 | No Comments

Agreement with Stena RoRo for the long-term charter with purchase option of 2 new vessels and a potential option for 2 additional vessels

  • Agreement with Stena RoRo for the long-term charter with purchase option of 2 new E-Flexer vessels, plus an option for 2 additional vessels.
  • Vessels to be built at CMI Jinling Weihai Shipyard, China
  • Largest RoPax vessels ever ordered by a Greek shipping company.
  • Specifications: 240m length, 1,500 passenger capacity, 3,320 lane metres cargo decks (approx. 200 freight units per vessel).
  • Vessels are Methanol ready, with engines capable of operating on 3 different fuel types and equipped with state-of-the-art technology to optimise fuel consumption.
  • Expected to reduce the Group’s GHG emissions per transport work by 60% compared to existing vessels.
  • Agreement includes a 10-year bareboat charter scheme with a purchase option after the 5th year.
  • Delivery scheduled for April and August 2027.
  • Fleet redeployment to follow, reducing the environmental footprint by retiring older vessels.
  • Innovative design collaboration between Stena RoRo and Attica’s shipbuilding teams based on the successful E-Flexer model.
  • CEO Panos Dikaios highlights Attica Group’s 3-decade innovation history and the new agreement’s role in setting industry standards, reducing environmental footprint, and enhancing travel experience.
  • Per Westling, Managing Director of Stena RoRo, emphasises the bespoke E-Flexer vessels’ versatility, fuel flexibility, and importance in Attica’s green transition.

Green features

  • Installation of battery pack for storage and use of electric energy in order to reduce the operation of diesel generators.
  • Installation of solar panels for the production of renewable electrical energy.
  • Installation of OPS – electrical power supply from shore during the ships stay in ports to avoid the use of diesel generators and the alleviation of harmful emissions and noise.
  • Lighting of the ships with new technology LED to reduce the required energy.
  • Rudder bulb designed and constructed to fit the ship’s propellers for optimizing hydrodynamic efficiency.
  • Hull form design for optimum hydrodynamic efficiency.
  • Intelligent clima control system for optimum energy consumption.
  • Hybrid scrubbers for reducing SOx emissions.
  • Silicon paints of underwater hull for reducing resistance and fuel consumption.
  • New generation main engines, tri-fuel including methanol for reducing CO2

Other features:

  • Design of bow and stern ramps (drive through concept) to avoid maneuvering of heavy vehicles and allow faster loading/unloading from two decks simultaneously.
Jun 28
2

The Swedish Transport Administration awarded the Gotland contract to…

By | 2024 Newsletter week 26 | No Comments
  • Alvina Shipping has been awarded the contract for ferry services to and from Gotland for the period 2027-2035 (with two additional option years). (announcement Swedish Transport Administration)
  • Two routes: Nynäshamn–Visby and Oskarshamn–Visby.
  • Alvina Shipping is a Danish subsidiary of Swedish Gotlandsbolaget. This company will be responsible for financial and strategic management. It is a way to benefit from the Danish tonnage tax regime and the zero salary tax for seamen. However, Destination Gotland will operate the services under Swedish flag and crew.
  • The Swedish Government is developing the Swedish tonnage tax to align Swedish shipping with international standards. Gotlandsbolaget is optimistic that Gotlandstrafiken will be fully integrated into this system. If approved, financial and strategic management will be overseen from the island of Gotland too.
  • A ten-day period is available for appeals after the contract award (Nordic Ferry Infrastructure / EQT ?).
  • The current ferry fleet will continue, with a new hydrogen-powered vessel to be introduced in 2028. During the upcoming contract period, a climate requirement applies which means that the operator must reduce CO2 emissions by 30 percent.
  • The Swedish Transport Administration shares the risk of high fuel prices.
  • Note: Gotlandsbolaget also recently acquired the DFDS route between Oslo and Copenhagen.
Jun 28
2

Moby put half of Toremar’s fleet up for sale

By | 2024 Newsletter week 26 | No Comments

“We already cleared that we would not take part in the coming tender for the maritime continuity, so we sell the ships.” That’s what Moby said to Ferry Shipping News to explain why Toremar, a company controlled by Onorato Armatori and active on the maritime links between mainland Italy and the islands surrounding the Toscana region (Elba, Capraia, and Giglio), put up for sale four of its eight vessels.

More specifically, available for sale are:

  • Rio Marina Bella (2004 – 896 passengers and 85 cars)
  • Giovanni Bellini (1985 – 589 passengers and 60 cars)
  • Liburna (1980 – 692 passengers and 60 cars)
  • Schiopparello Jet (1999 – high-speed ferry – 145 passengers)

The other four vessels in Toremar’s fleet are the 1991-built Stelio Montomoli, the 1980-built Marmorica, the 1980-built Oglasa, and the 2005-built Giuseppe Rum.