new services to africa • terminal in benin
TRANSCRIPT
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Pubblicazione trimestrale Quarterly publication
Stampa / Print: ROSSI srl - Nola (Napoli)
Circulation 34,500 copies Printed on 24 January 2011
Gr imaldi NE WS
GRIMALDI GROUP Via Marchese Campodisola, 13
80133 NAPOLI (Italy)
3 New line between Livorno, Valencia and Tangiers
4 New MEX Service “Grande Congo” delivered Rouen call for the
“Eurocargo Service”
10 New terminal in Cotonou
11 Malta welcomes the “Eurocargo Malta” Welcoming ceremony on board “Grande Cameroon”
12 New Minoan Lines offices in Igoumenitsa Grimaldi takes the Cyprus Rally onboard
13 News
15 Schedules - Mediterranean Short Sea Network - Finnlines (Baltic & North Sea) - Atlantic Network - ACL - Euro Med Network
It is an old truism of the shipping world that there is no better time to invest than at the bottom of the cycle, though it perhaps is no coincidence that this also the moment when
making such a commitment is most daunting. Looking around the shipping world today, it is no surprise to find that most shipowners are still huddled defensively in their cabins waiting for the storm to pass. More than two years after the collapse of Lehman Brothers triggered the global economic crisis, the industry is still scanning the horizon for consistent growth and a return of confidence in sovereign debt markets that might settle the minds of consumers and markets alike. Here at Grimaldi, however, we continue to carve our own path through the waves, consist- ent with Schumpeter’s famous economic theory of creative destruction, which foresees the destruction of marginal or inefficient assets and the liberation of resources for investment in innovation and efficiency. As you will read in this edition of Grimaldi News, we have invested heavily once again over the last year, and in almost every facet of the business. In that time, we have welcomed a string of new ships to the fleet and this year there is more to come. Only in November, we took delivery of the multipurpose ro-ro vessel Grande Congo, the third of five such ships due from South Korea’s Hyundai Mipo. The vessel, which has capacity for 2,000 cars, 2,000 lm of rolling cargo and 800 teu, is already in service between Europe and West Africa. Meanwhile, other deliveries have been rolling in across the Grimaldi universe, from Minoan’s Cruise Olympia last summer to the first of the “Eurocargo-type” ships. As for this year, Finnlines will also have a busy time of it, taking delivery of the first two of six giant new ro-ros at the end of the first quarter and two more by year-end. Meanwhile, ACL is plotting the renewal of its fleet of five con-ros. Newbuildings aside, we have also added to our network of services. In the last quarter of 2010, we launched our Mediterranean Express service, a revival of a historic route for the company between the Mediterranean and West Africa. We also launched a new line for passengers and freight between Livorno, Valencia and Tangiers that reflects our belief in the huge potential of the North African market. For other companies, other routes. So Finnlines has substantially expanded its connections through St Petersburg, linking the fast-growing Russian market to Helsinki, Antwerp and Bilbao. The Lithuanian port of Ventspils has also been added to the network served by our Finnish subsidiary. From these ports, our clients can also access far-flung markets across the globe via other Grimaldi-controlled companies in the Grimaldi family, particularly in Europe, Africa and the Americas. Our terminal business has also seen investment, the fruit of imaginative strategic planning. In November, we opened a dedicated ro-ro terminal in the port of Cotonou (Benin), a reflection of rising demand for our services in West Africa and our belief in the region’s long-term prospects. Belief is at the heart of what we do at Grimaldi. We believe we have a well-founded strategic vision, a portfolio of first-class companies run by talented, experienced managers, and the courage to reinvest our profits where we see an opportunity, even at the bottom of the cycle. All this is perhaps most evident in the quality of our fleet, in which we have continued to invest through the downturn. Of course, buying new ships and scrapping old ones has an impact far beyond the bottom line. Consonant with our belief in the need to be good citizens as well as good entrepreneurs, we are pledged to the construction of a fleet that is young, efficient and environmentally sustainable. That commitment is also reflected in our investment in new technology. The eight ro-pax ves- sels and cruise ferries we are currently repainting with silicone paint, for instance, will benefit both our financial performance and the quality of our sea and air, reducing our fuel consump- tion for a substantial environmental gain.
The courage of our convictions
Tangiers
Livorno
Valencia
Trapani
Ancona
Palermo
Salerno
Malta
time services for passengers
Tangiers route, launched on the 20th of
November.
operated by the “Ikarus Palace”, a mod-
ern and fast ro/pax ferry with a 200-me-
tre length and 26 metre beam. The ves-
sel is able to accommodate 1,500 pas-
sengers in 200 cabins and 180 comfort-
able reclining seats, and can transport
up to 160 units of trucks and trailers and
her service speed of 26 knots allows to
connect Italy and Spain to Morocco with
a very competitive transit time.
Moreover, it is also possible to reach
Morocco from Salerno, Cagliari (Sar-
dinia), Catania and Palermo (Sicily) and
Malta via Livorno or Valencia.
Thanks to the many facilities on board,
the “Ikarus Palace” guarantees an en-
joyable voyage both for tourists and
for Moroccans travelling to and from
Spain and Italy. Apart from the comfort-
able cabins, she has à la carte and self-
service restaurants, a swimming pool
and solarium, children’s play area, plus
a disco and slot machines for evening
entertainment.
an innovative sea link between Italy,
Spain and Morocco, and is intended to
provide support for the expanding trade
relations between North Africa and the
Western Mediterranean. It also provides
both tourists and the large Moroccan
communities resident in Italy and Spain
with a new opportunity to travel to this
part of Maghreb,” said Grimaldi Group
Managing Director Emanuele Grimaldi.
Palace” we are not only offering a qual-
ity service, but also making a major con-
tribution to environmental sustainability
the congested European motorways to
this new Motorway of the Sea.”
New line between Livorno, Valencia and Tangiers
The m/v Ikarus Palace
menced connecting the Mediter-
“Mediterranean Express” service (MEX).
Group had been serving it continuously
from the mid 70’s until 1999.
The new line, dedicated to the transport
of rolling freight, containers and project
cargo, directly links the ports of Salerno,
Genoa, Marseilles and Valencia with the
ports of Dakar (Senegal), Lome (Togo),
Lagos (Nigeria) and Cotonou (Benin)
every 18 days.
this route is the m/v “Repubblica di Ro-
ma”, which is joined by the m/v “Medcoa
Lome”, operated by the French shipping
company Navitrans. Both companies
for freight booked by the other operator.
The “Repubblica di Roma”, with a gross
tonnage of 42,000 tonnes and a length
of 216 metres, is able to transport up to
650 TEU, 1,100 cars/vans and 2,200 lin-
ear metres of rolling cargo at a speed of
18 knots. The “Repubblica” class vessel
is also equipped with two cranes on the
weather deck capable of handling up to
40 tonnes and a stern ramp capable of
loading units up to 150 tonnes of freight.
With the new MEX service, the Grimaldi
Group aims to further strengthen its pres-
ence both in the Mediterranean and West
Africa, offering its customers not only a
direct service between these two geo-
New service between the Mediterranean and West Africa
The new line is dedicated to the transport of rolling cargo, containers and project cargo
MEX Service
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Rouen call for the “Eurocargo Service” In order to better serve the French market, as from last 28th of October the port of Rouen has been introduced as a port of call on the “Eurocargo Service”, one of the four different liner services offered by the Group between North Europe and West Africa. The
“Eurocargo Service” operates on a eighteen-day frequency con- necting the Northern European ports of Tilbury, Hamburg, Le Havre, Antwerp and Rouen directly with the West African ports of Dakar, Banjul, Monrovia, Libreville and Boma. The two vessels deployed on this service are the multipurpose ro-ro vessels “Eurocargo Europa” and “Eurocargo Africa”, which, with a length of 180 metres and a gross tonnage of 33,650 metres, are able to load 2,000 linear metres of rolling cargo and 400 TEU. Agent of the Group in Rouen is Grimaldi ACL France Agency.
“Grande Congo” delivered
FlEEt dEvElopEMEnt
On the 4th of November the multipur- pose ro/ro vessel Grande Congo
was delivered to the Group by the Hy- undai Mipo shipyards. The vessel was launched on the 14th of July and is the third in a series of five multipurpose ro- ro sister vessels ordered by the Grimaldi Group from the Korean shipyard. As her sistership “Grande Marocco”, the newbuilding has a length of 210.92 metres, a width of 32.26 metres, and a gross tonnage of 47,300 tonnes. With a service speed of 20 knots, the “Grande Congo” has an ideal cargo intake of 2,000 cars/vans, 2,000 linear metres of
rolling freight and 800 TEU, offering the
maximum flexibilty in terms of intake
capacity and type of cargo loaded. Fur-
thermore, the vessel can lift containers
and general cargo up to 40 tonnes with
her two cranes set on the weather deck.
Immediately after her delivery, the
“Grande Congo” was deployed on the
“Lisbon Express” Service, connect-
“Southern Express” Service, directly
linking various North European ports
with Casablanca, Dakar, Lome, Luanda,
Pointe Noire and and Douala.
The unit upgrades the Group’s North Europe - West Africa service
graphical areas, but also several tran-
shipment opportunities, via Salerno and
Valencia, taking advantage of the vari-
ous Grimaldi connections to and from
the Eastern Mediterranean.
competitive transit times, the whole
Mediterranean with other ports of
Africa thanks to its regular services
from its Dakar terminal. Ports served
in transhipment are Banjul (Gambia),
Conakry (Guinea), Freetown (Sierra
Leone), Monrovia (Liberia), Abidjan
Pointe Noire (Congo-Brazzaville) and
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The 14th edition of the Euro-Med Convention From Land to Sea, which the Grimaldi Group organ-
ises annually, was held from 6 to 9 Oc- tober on board the ferry “Cruise Ol- ympia” en route from Ancona to Patras. Over 400 delegates attended the event. They included representatives from Ital- ian and European institutions, port author- ities, logistics and transport operators, shipping industry professionals, as well as national and international journalists. Speakers at the convention – chaired by Alfons Guinier, Secretary General of ECSA (European Community Ship- owners’ Associations) – were Luciano Canepa, Chairman of the Ancona Port Authority; Tommaso Affinita, CEO of RAM (Rete Autostrade Mediterranee); Simon Bird, Chairman of The Bristol Port Authority; Konstantinos Platikos- tas, Chairman of the Patras Authority; Andrea Annunziata, Chairman of the Salerno Port Authority; Stavros Hat- zakos, Administrative Director of the Piraeus Port Authority; and Recai Isik- tas, Logistics Manager of Ford Otosan. In his speech Emanuele Grimaldi, Man- aging Director of the Grimaldi Group, picked up arguments put forward at the previous year’s edition regarding Schumpeter’s theory of “creative de- struction”, which, applied to shipping, suggests that this process is a driv- ing force behind innovation, techno- logical advance and economic growth resulting in improved quality of life. According to a study carried out by Clarkson, between the end of 2008 and mid-2010 the global Ro-Ro fleet de- creased from 10.3 million to 9.8 million dwt. “However,” Mr Grimaldi added,
“there’s more room in the sector for fur- ther scrapping of ships. In the context of the process of destruction, optimisation and creation of Schumpeter’s business cycle, our Group was initially a spectator and then a leading player. Even though our fleet is young – the average age of our vessels is 10 years, compared to 20 years for the global f leet – our renewal
The Cruise Olympia hosts the XIV Euro-Med Convention
Best Agents of the Year
During the Convention three Italian partners of the Group were awarded as Best Agents of the Year of the Euro-Med Network: Grimaldi Palermo, Marango- lo Shipping Agency (Catania) and Team Shipping Agency (Venice). The agencies were selected for their support to the commercial and opera- tional activities of the Group in 2010, their customer-ori- ented attitude and the effi- ciency shown in promoting Grimaldi’s activities in their respective areas of compe- tence.
The annual event organised by the Group gathered over 400 delegates from different countries
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policy has meant that many of our ships have been scrapped while some 10 new vessels have started operating for us in the last 12 months. Thanks to the resulting fall in consumption, we have achieved better economic results and enhanced environmental performance.” By way of example, work continues in the Hyundai Mipo shipyard in Korea on the construction of 8 state-of-the- art Ro-Ro vessels, which cut emissions from 2,500 kg of CO2/ton per km sailed (the figure for the previous generation of Ro-Ro vessels) to 700 kg. Thanks al- so to improved routes, operations and fleet rationalisation, the Group has also achieved excellent results insofar as its ships have carried 10% more traffic with no increase in fuel consumption.” At the same time, Mr Grimaldi stressed that the 0.1% cap on sulphur content of fuel oil to be introduced under Marpol Annex VI could impair the development of ship- ping and favour a return to road trans-
port. According to Mr Grimaldi a more realistic maximum limit of 0.5% sulphur content should be the proper alternative. Mr Grimaldi also announced the open- ing by the Group of new services: Livorno-Valencia-Tangiers, the first maritime link between Italy, Spain and Morocco; Livorno-Catania-Malta, so that shippers can use the Maltese hub to provide connections to Greece and Lybia; and the new deep sea Medi- terranean Express Service, between the Mediterranean and West Africa. Among other issues raised for discus- sion was the Ecobonus. Tommaso Af- finita argued that this incentive scheme deserves fresh funding insofar as it has already produced important re- sults, underlining that the EU is consid- ering extending it throughout Europe. The role played by the ports in helping shift cargo from land-based networks to shipping was mentioned and discussed by the various Port Authorities partici-
pating: Andrea Annunziata illustrated the projects underway in Salerno to develop the Motorways of the Sea both logistically and otherwise, while Luciano Canepa, Chairman of the Ancona Port Authority, affirmed the efforts made to re- duce pollution and the use of alternative energy sources, affirming that “Ancona has adopted the motto ‘from land to sea”. Mr Hatzakos presented the Piraeus Port modernisation plan while Mr Platikostas underlined the strategic objectives for the coming years, such as the strength- ening of the role of Patras as the Western gateway from Greece and the Balkans to Italy and Western Europe. Finally, Mr Bird focused on the huge potential for fu- el and corresponding CO2 savings in sea transportation from Spain and Portugal to the UK, while Mr Isiktas highlighted the importance of short sea shipping- based logistics for Ford Otosan, particularly for the company’s exports to Europe and the Mediterranean.
From left to right: Tommaso Affinita, Andrea Annunziata, Simon Bird, Luciano Canepa, Alfons Guinier, Stavros Hatzakos, Recai Isiktas, Konstantinos Platikostas, Emanuele Grimaldi
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Italian 2010 Shipping Awards
sented the “Cruise or Ferry operator
of the year” award. The prestigious
awards were sponsored by the daily
London newspaper, Lloyd’s List, the
oldest maritime publication in the
world and were supported and coor-
dinated by the specialised magazine
“Ship2Shore”. Prizes were awarded to
16 Italian operators for different catago-
ries.
of its type (the first being held in Na-
ples in 2008), took place on the 21st of
October at the maritime station of the
Port of Genoa. The award was received
by Guido Grimaldi, son of Emanuele
Grimaldi and commercial manager of
the Group’s Short Sea department.
The judges, made up of ten important
personalities in the maritime world,
including the President of Confitarma
(the Italian Shipowners Association),
Grimaldi Group with the award for the
investments made in recent years, par-
ticularly for the development of its f leet
and the acquisition of the ferry opera-
tors Minoan Lines and Finnlines.
The Group receives Lloyd’s List Italian Shipping Award
Guido Grimaldi receiving the award from Aldo Frulio, Chairman of Unitramp Shipbrokers
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zine “Transportes & Negocios” as
The award was received by the lo-
cal commercial manager Mario
the 25th of November at Leixões.
This award, directly voted for by
the Portuguese shippers and for-
warders, demonstrates not only the
importance that Portugal gives to
the African market, but also the
continuous improvement of the
the progressive deployment of
In a ceremony held last 4th of No-
vember at the Teatro Sannazzaro
of Naples, Inarme (Industria Arma-
mento Meridionale), a company of the
Grimaldi Group, received the Campa-
nia Award 2010 in the "value-makers"
category.
to “the excellent companies of the
Campania Region which, even in time
of crisis, build successful stories and
represent positively the Region in Italy
and abroad." In particular, the com-
pany Inarme was awarded for having
achieved the best performance of the
financial statement in 2009.
also the Golden Lion, the award real-
ised in collaboration with Nielsen and
assigned to the companies that have
better invested in communication.
emony was Advertising Manager Ing.
Mariano Baldissara whom the awards
were handed over to.
“Best Line” award to Grimaldi Portugal for the 2nd year in a row
The Campania Region awards Grimaldi
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atlantic nEtwork
In the framework of its expansion in the African Continent, the Grimaldi Group has inaugurated a new dedicated Ro-
Ro terminal located in the port of Cotonou (Benin) in a joint venture with Beninese interests. Launched last 5th of November, the ter- minal has a total surface of 42,000 sqm, of which 36,000 sqm are already de- veloped and exploitable, and boasts a direct access to the road network. The terminal’s current capacity is of 2,400 units, between cars and vans, which will become 2,800 units in May 2011. It offers stevedoring activities to all the Grimaldi vessels calling at Cotonou and handles new and used cars, besides rolling car- go. Up to 2,500 vehicles can be received every day which are transferred to sales parks, with a current productivity of 100 vehicles handled per hour. The new terminal offers several top quality services such as the electronic tally system linked to manifests, to the London operations department and the vessel system, finalised to fully match and satisfy all customers. In particular, the vessel system allows the tracking of vehicles discharged at any time, with the possibility to work 24 hours a day: this is an additional advantage since the difficult conditions of the country do not allow any carriers to discharge vehicles during the night. Moreover, the security of the discharged vehicles has been increased thanks to
a last generation camera system posi- tioned both on the quay and on the ter- minal. The port of Cotonou is one of the ports called by the Grimaldi regular services linking North America and North Eu- rope with over 20 ports of West Africa:
the Group has further strengthened its presence on the Atlantic routes not only through new maritime services but also through the landside logistics and car storage facilities operating in the main port areas, the last new terminal being the one in Benin.
The Group opens a dedicated terminal in Cotonou With a total surface of 42,000 sqm, the terminal has a current capacity of 2,400 units between cars and vans, which will become 2,800 in May 2011
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EvEnts
On the occasion of the deploy- ment of the “Eurocargo Malta”, on the 23rd of September a cer-
emony was held to present and welcome the Grimaldi Group’s newsbuilding at La Valletta, Malta. Guido Grimaldi, commercial manager of the Group’s Short Sea Department, opened the ceremony describing the new vessel named after the State of Malta, as a demonstration of the commitment of the Group to the development of transport and mobility to and from this country.
“The Eurocargo Malta together with her sistership Eurocargo Genova represent the state-of-the art in the ro-ro industry.”
said Guido Grimaldi. “Thanks to their 4,000 linear metres intake each, they double the cargo capacity on the lines
between La Valletta, Catania, Genoa, Livorno, and also Libya, calling at the ports of Tripoli and Al Khoms, increasing at the same time the efficiency and the speed. Malta is today even more of a hub in our network and it is our aim to strengthen our commitment to improve maritime trans- port and mobility to and from this country with the rest of the European Union and the neighbouring Northern African nations”. The event was attended among others by the Maltese Minister of Transport Austin Gatt, the Ambassador of Italy in Malta Efisio Luigi Marras, the President of the Malta Chamber of Commerce Helga Elull and the local media.
Malta welcomes the “Eurocargo Malta”
Welcoming ceremony on board “Grande Cameroon”
On the occasion of her second call at
Douala on the 23rd of September, a
welcome ceremony was held on board
the m/vessel “Grande Cameroon”. The
Secretary General of the Cameroonese
Ministry of Transport Soh Jean Pierre
and the Governor of the region, Fai
Yengo Francis, were received on board,
together with many customers and local
authorities, by the Owner’s Representa-
tive Ivan Tessitore and Bernard Shortt,
Deep Sea Lines manager director.
In his opening speech Mr Soh thanked
the Grimaldi Group for the honour of hav-
ing a vessel with the name of the country,
underlining that the “Grande Cameroon”
is part of an almost new fleet of vessels
calling at Douala, providing a significant
improvement for the trade and the general
competitiveness of the country. Mr Ivan Tessitore underlined that the
Grimaldi Group has been calling at the port of Douala for over twenty years, and that “with the launch of the Grande Cam- eroon, Grimaldi honors the long standing relationship that we have with Cameroon. We are glad that she will sail the world as a symbol of this relationship.” The “Grande Cameroon”, built at the Ul- janik shipyards of Pula (Croatia) in 2010, is currently deployed on the Southern
Express service, linking North Europe to various West African ports; recently the frequency of this service has been improved to every 12 days. The unit has a gross tonnage of 50,000 tonnes, and, with an ideal intake of 2,000 cars/vans, 2,000 linear metres of heavy Ro-Ro units and 800 TEU it is an example of the flexibility and fast transit time provided by Grimaldi vessels.
Guido Grimaldi with Austin Gatt
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the Cyprus Rally, part of the IRC
(Intercontinental Rally Challenge)
Eastern Mediterranean.
ing various team rally cars from Venice
to Limassol, through its Adriatic weekly
ro/ro and container service linking the
Upper Adriatic to various Eastern Medi-
terranean ports.
containing rally cars and their mobile
machine shops were loaded onboard the
m/vessel Eurocargo Valencia. The rally
cars belonged to the teams of Munaretto
Racing, All Sports Management, Sthol
Racing, Koyo Ltd and Jipo Car (whose
driver Martin Prokop classified 4th and
was also elected in 2009 “World Junior
Champion”). In addition to the rally cars,
Grimaldi transported also some vehicles
of the television channel “Eurosport”, the
official TV of the Rally.
After the conclusion of the race, the units
were loaded on the 11th of November
onboard the m/vessel Fides and safely
shipped back to Venice.
Grimaldi takes onboard the Cyprus Rally
New Minoan Lines offices in Igoumenitsa
On the 7th of October Minoan Lines, a company of the Grimaldi Group,
inaugurated its new office in the port of Igoumenitsa, in the northwestern part of Greece. Situated at the Passenger Ter- minal of the port, it has a surface of 60 square metres and employs a staff of eight experienced persons, headed by
Mr. Theodore Makris. The new Minoan Lines office acts as a maritime agency, managing the booking and ticket issue for passengers, cars and rolling cargo. It cooperates with the local Port Authority and acts as supervisor for the safe passenger and vehicle embarka- tion and disembarkation to and from the
Minoan Lines regularly calling the port. Furthermore, the agency acts as a com- mercial promoter, both for passengers and freight, in the Northern regions of Greece. The decision of Minoan Lines to open its own offices in Igoumenitsa is due to the rapid traffic growth that this port has been experiencing in recent years, especially following the opening of the Egnatia motor- way linking the city of Igoumenitsa to the Greek-Turkish border. This new road link is the most efficient gateway for passen- gers and rolling freight moving between Italy, the Balkans and Turkey. Minoan Lines regularly links Igoumenitsa to Italy through their daily service to An- cona and the four-times-a-week service to Venice; furthermore, the port of Igoumen- itsa is connected with the Greek ports of Patras and Corfu.
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A 57-metre transformer from Naples to Genoa
On the 22nd of October Grimaldi shipped a large transformer on the Catania-Genoa short sea service. The shipper was the Italian company Fagioli, specialized in
the heavy transport business. The transformer had a length of 57.5 metres, a height of 4.2 metres, a width of 4.5 metres and a weight of 238 tonnes. The unit was loaded during a special call at the port of Naples by the m/vessel Eurocargo Malta which then proceeded, without any changes to its schedule, to the port of Genoa, where the special cargo was discharged.
Drilling rig transported by Plate Logistics from China to Argentina
P late Logistics SA, the logistics and forwarding company of the Grimaldi
Group strengthens its presence in the Argentinean market: the company has recently moved a drilling rig of the Chi- nese company Sinopec International Pe- troleum Services involving 7,400 m³ of cargo transported by land from Zarate and delivered at a mine site in the vicin- ity of the city of Mendoza, about 1,200 km west from Buenos Aires. The suc- cessful execution of this shipment, and other similar ones, shows the expertise developed by Plate Logistics` staff in the project cargo field.
“The Best Creation Prize” awarded to Minoan lines
W ith a brand new appealing exhibition kiosk, Minoan Lines participated at the 26th International Tourism Fair Philoxenia 2010, which was held from 18th to 21st
November 2010 in Thessaloniki. In the impressive exhibition section of its highly modern kiosk, which highlights the company’s philosophy of professionalism and creativity, Minoan Lines welcomed travel agents from all over Greece, furthermore the company was honoured to receive the prize of “Best Creation”, awarded by Philoxenia 2010, for the unique, innovative con- struction and the functionally effective and aesthetically pleasing design of its exhibition kiosk which received glowing comments from many of the visitors. During the trade fair, representatives of the tourism industry from Greece and abroad had the opportunity to visit Minoan Lines’ stand and be informed of the itineraries and the commercial politics applied to the domestic and international lines, for the upcoming season of 2011.
Railway wagon shipped to Salerno
A railway wagon was recently loaded onboard the m/v Gran Bretagna
on the Euromed service route from the port of Southampton to Salerno. The unit had a length of 24.3 metres, a width of 2.7 metres and a height of 4 metres and weighed 67 tonnes. The wagon was delivered to Southampton on a special truck used for abnormal loads and was lifted off the truck by two cranes and placed on one of the Line’s 80ft mafis.
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Pubblicazione trimestrale Quarterly publication
Stampa / Print: ROSSI srl - Nola (Napoli)
Circulation 34,500 copies Printed on 24 January 2011
Gr imaldi NE WS
GRIMALDI GROUP Via Marchese Campodisola, 13
80133 NAPOLI (Italy)
3 New line between Livorno, Valencia and Tangiers
4 New MEX Service “Grande Congo” delivered Rouen call for the
“Eurocargo Service”
10 New terminal in Cotonou
11 Malta welcomes the “Eurocargo Malta” Welcoming ceremony on board “Grande Cameroon”
12 New Minoan Lines offices in Igoumenitsa Grimaldi takes the Cyprus Rally onboard
13 News
15 Schedules - Mediterranean Short Sea Network - Finnlines (Baltic & North Sea) - Atlantic Network - ACL - Euro Med Network
It is an old truism of the shipping world that there is no better time to invest than at the bottom of the cycle, though it perhaps is no coincidence that this also the moment when
making such a commitment is most daunting. Looking around the shipping world today, it is no surprise to find that most shipowners are still huddled defensively in their cabins waiting for the storm to pass. More than two years after the collapse of Lehman Brothers triggered the global economic crisis, the industry is still scanning the horizon for consistent growth and a return of confidence in sovereign debt markets that might settle the minds of consumers and markets alike. Here at Grimaldi, however, we continue to carve our own path through the waves, consist- ent with Schumpeter’s famous economic theory of creative destruction, which foresees the destruction of marginal or inefficient assets and the liberation of resources for investment in innovation and efficiency. As you will read in this edition of Grimaldi News, we have invested heavily once again over the last year, and in almost every facet of the business. In that time, we have welcomed a string of new ships to the fleet and this year there is more to come. Only in November, we took delivery of the multipurpose ro-ro vessel Grande Congo, the third of five such ships due from South Korea’s Hyundai Mipo. The vessel, which has capacity for 2,000 cars, 2,000 lm of rolling cargo and 800 teu, is already in service between Europe and West Africa. Meanwhile, other deliveries have been rolling in across the Grimaldi universe, from Minoan’s Cruise Olympia last summer to the first of the “Eurocargo-type” ships. As for this year, Finnlines will also have a busy time of it, taking delivery of the first two of six giant new ro-ros at the end of the first quarter and two more by year-end. Meanwhile, ACL is plotting the renewal of its fleet of five con-ros. Newbuildings aside, we have also added to our network of services. In the last quarter of 2010, we launched our Mediterranean Express service, a revival of a historic route for the company between the Mediterranean and West Africa. We also launched a new line for passengers and freight between Livorno, Valencia and Tangiers that reflects our belief in the huge potential of the North African market. For other companies, other routes. So Finnlines has substantially expanded its connections through St Petersburg, linking the fast-growing Russian market to Helsinki, Antwerp and Bilbao. The Lithuanian port of Ventspils has also been added to the network served by our Finnish subsidiary. From these ports, our clients can also access far-flung markets across the globe via other Grimaldi-controlled companies in the Grimaldi family, particularly in Europe, Africa and the Americas. Our terminal business has also seen investment, the fruit of imaginative strategic planning. In November, we opened a dedicated ro-ro terminal in the port of Cotonou (Benin), a reflection of rising demand for our services in West Africa and our belief in the region’s long-term prospects. Belief is at the heart of what we do at Grimaldi. We believe we have a well-founded strategic vision, a portfolio of first-class companies run by talented, experienced managers, and the courage to reinvest our profits where we see an opportunity, even at the bottom of the cycle. All this is perhaps most evident in the quality of our fleet, in which we have continued to invest through the downturn. Of course, buying new ships and scrapping old ones has an impact far beyond the bottom line. Consonant with our belief in the need to be good citizens as well as good entrepreneurs, we are pledged to the construction of a fleet that is young, efficient and environmentally sustainable. That commitment is also reflected in our investment in new technology. The eight ro-pax ves- sels and cruise ferries we are currently repainting with silicone paint, for instance, will benefit both our financial performance and the quality of our sea and air, reducing our fuel consump- tion for a substantial environmental gain.
The courage of our convictions
Tangiers
Livorno
Valencia
Trapani
Ancona
Palermo
Salerno
Malta
time services for passengers
Tangiers route, launched on the 20th of
November.
operated by the “Ikarus Palace”, a mod-
ern and fast ro/pax ferry with a 200-me-
tre length and 26 metre beam. The ves-
sel is able to accommodate 1,500 pas-
sengers in 200 cabins and 180 comfort-
able reclining seats, and can transport
up to 160 units of trucks and trailers and
her service speed of 26 knots allows to
connect Italy and Spain to Morocco with
a very competitive transit time.
Moreover, it is also possible to reach
Morocco from Salerno, Cagliari (Sar-
dinia), Catania and Palermo (Sicily) and
Malta via Livorno or Valencia.
Thanks to the many facilities on board,
the “Ikarus Palace” guarantees an en-
joyable voyage both for tourists and
for Moroccans travelling to and from
Spain and Italy. Apart from the comfort-
able cabins, she has à la carte and self-
service restaurants, a swimming pool
and solarium, children’s play area, plus
a disco and slot machines for evening
entertainment.
an innovative sea link between Italy,
Spain and Morocco, and is intended to
provide support for the expanding trade
relations between North Africa and the
Western Mediterranean. It also provides
both tourists and the large Moroccan
communities resident in Italy and Spain
with a new opportunity to travel to this
part of Maghreb,” said Grimaldi Group
Managing Director Emanuele Grimaldi.
Palace” we are not only offering a qual-
ity service, but also making a major con-
tribution to environmental sustainability
the congested European motorways to
this new Motorway of the Sea.”
New line between Livorno, Valencia and Tangiers
The m/v Ikarus Palace
menced connecting the Mediter-
“Mediterranean Express” service (MEX).
Group had been serving it continuously
from the mid 70’s until 1999.
The new line, dedicated to the transport
of rolling freight, containers and project
cargo, directly links the ports of Salerno,
Genoa, Marseilles and Valencia with the
ports of Dakar (Senegal), Lome (Togo),
Lagos (Nigeria) and Cotonou (Benin)
every 18 days.
this route is the m/v “Repubblica di Ro-
ma”, which is joined by the m/v “Medcoa
Lome”, operated by the French shipping
company Navitrans. Both companies
for freight booked by the other operator.
The “Repubblica di Roma”, with a gross
tonnage of 42,000 tonnes and a length
of 216 metres, is able to transport up to
650 TEU, 1,100 cars/vans and 2,200 lin-
ear metres of rolling cargo at a speed of
18 knots. The “Repubblica” class vessel
is also equipped with two cranes on the
weather deck capable of handling up to
40 tonnes and a stern ramp capable of
loading units up to 150 tonnes of freight.
With the new MEX service, the Grimaldi
Group aims to further strengthen its pres-
ence both in the Mediterranean and West
Africa, offering its customers not only a
direct service between these two geo-
New service between the Mediterranean and West Africa
The new line is dedicated to the transport of rolling cargo, containers and project cargo
MEX Service
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Rouen call for the “Eurocargo Service” In order to better serve the French market, as from last 28th of October the port of Rouen has been introduced as a port of call on the “Eurocargo Service”, one of the four different liner services offered by the Group between North Europe and West Africa. The
“Eurocargo Service” operates on a eighteen-day frequency con- necting the Northern European ports of Tilbury, Hamburg, Le Havre, Antwerp and Rouen directly with the West African ports of Dakar, Banjul, Monrovia, Libreville and Boma. The two vessels deployed on this service are the multipurpose ro-ro vessels “Eurocargo Europa” and “Eurocargo Africa”, which, with a length of 180 metres and a gross tonnage of 33,650 metres, are able to load 2,000 linear metres of rolling cargo and 400 TEU. Agent of the Group in Rouen is Grimaldi ACL France Agency.
“Grande Congo” delivered
FlEEt dEvElopEMEnt
On the 4th of November the multipur- pose ro/ro vessel Grande Congo
was delivered to the Group by the Hy- undai Mipo shipyards. The vessel was launched on the 14th of July and is the third in a series of five multipurpose ro- ro sister vessels ordered by the Grimaldi Group from the Korean shipyard. As her sistership “Grande Marocco”, the newbuilding has a length of 210.92 metres, a width of 32.26 metres, and a gross tonnage of 47,300 tonnes. With a service speed of 20 knots, the “Grande Congo” has an ideal cargo intake of 2,000 cars/vans, 2,000 linear metres of
rolling freight and 800 TEU, offering the
maximum flexibilty in terms of intake
capacity and type of cargo loaded. Fur-
thermore, the vessel can lift containers
and general cargo up to 40 tonnes with
her two cranes set on the weather deck.
Immediately after her delivery, the
“Grande Congo” was deployed on the
“Lisbon Express” Service, connect-
“Southern Express” Service, directly
linking various North European ports
with Casablanca, Dakar, Lome, Luanda,
Pointe Noire and and Douala.
The unit upgrades the Group’s North Europe - West Africa service
graphical areas, but also several tran-
shipment opportunities, via Salerno and
Valencia, taking advantage of the vari-
ous Grimaldi connections to and from
the Eastern Mediterranean.
competitive transit times, the whole
Mediterranean with other ports of
Africa thanks to its regular services
from its Dakar terminal. Ports served
in transhipment are Banjul (Gambia),
Conakry (Guinea), Freetown (Sierra
Leone), Monrovia (Liberia), Abidjan
Pointe Noire (Congo-Brazzaville) and
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The 14th edition of the Euro-Med Convention From Land to Sea, which the Grimaldi Group organ-
ises annually, was held from 6 to 9 Oc- tober on board the ferry “Cruise Ol- ympia” en route from Ancona to Patras. Over 400 delegates attended the event. They included representatives from Ital- ian and European institutions, port author- ities, logistics and transport operators, shipping industry professionals, as well as national and international journalists. Speakers at the convention – chaired by Alfons Guinier, Secretary General of ECSA (European Community Ship- owners’ Associations) – were Luciano Canepa, Chairman of the Ancona Port Authority; Tommaso Affinita, CEO of RAM (Rete Autostrade Mediterranee); Simon Bird, Chairman of The Bristol Port Authority; Konstantinos Platikos- tas, Chairman of the Patras Authority; Andrea Annunziata, Chairman of the Salerno Port Authority; Stavros Hat- zakos, Administrative Director of the Piraeus Port Authority; and Recai Isik- tas, Logistics Manager of Ford Otosan. In his speech Emanuele Grimaldi, Man- aging Director of the Grimaldi Group, picked up arguments put forward at the previous year’s edition regarding Schumpeter’s theory of “creative de- struction”, which, applied to shipping, suggests that this process is a driv- ing force behind innovation, techno- logical advance and economic growth resulting in improved quality of life. According to a study carried out by Clarkson, between the end of 2008 and mid-2010 the global Ro-Ro fleet de- creased from 10.3 million to 9.8 million dwt. “However,” Mr Grimaldi added,
“there’s more room in the sector for fur- ther scrapping of ships. In the context of the process of destruction, optimisation and creation of Schumpeter’s business cycle, our Group was initially a spectator and then a leading player. Even though our fleet is young – the average age of our vessels is 10 years, compared to 20 years for the global f leet – our renewal
The Cruise Olympia hosts the XIV Euro-Med Convention
Best Agents of the Year
During the Convention three Italian partners of the Group were awarded as Best Agents of the Year of the Euro-Med Network: Grimaldi Palermo, Marango- lo Shipping Agency (Catania) and Team Shipping Agency (Venice). The agencies were selected for their support to the commercial and opera- tional activities of the Group in 2010, their customer-ori- ented attitude and the effi- ciency shown in promoting Grimaldi’s activities in their respective areas of compe- tence.
The annual event organised by the Group gathered over 400 delegates from different countries
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policy has meant that many of our ships have been scrapped while some 10 new vessels have started operating for us in the last 12 months. Thanks to the resulting fall in consumption, we have achieved better economic results and enhanced environmental performance.” By way of example, work continues in the Hyundai Mipo shipyard in Korea on the construction of 8 state-of-the- art Ro-Ro vessels, which cut emissions from 2,500 kg of CO2/ton per km sailed (the figure for the previous generation of Ro-Ro vessels) to 700 kg. Thanks al- so to improved routes, operations and fleet rationalisation, the Group has also achieved excellent results insofar as its ships have carried 10% more traffic with no increase in fuel consumption.” At the same time, Mr Grimaldi stressed that the 0.1% cap on sulphur content of fuel oil to be introduced under Marpol Annex VI could impair the development of ship- ping and favour a return to road trans-
port. According to Mr Grimaldi a more realistic maximum limit of 0.5% sulphur content should be the proper alternative. Mr Grimaldi also announced the open- ing by the Group of new services: Livorno-Valencia-Tangiers, the first maritime link between Italy, Spain and Morocco; Livorno-Catania-Malta, so that shippers can use the Maltese hub to provide connections to Greece and Lybia; and the new deep sea Medi- terranean Express Service, between the Mediterranean and West Africa. Among other issues raised for discus- sion was the Ecobonus. Tommaso Af- finita argued that this incentive scheme deserves fresh funding insofar as it has already produced important re- sults, underlining that the EU is consid- ering extending it throughout Europe. The role played by the ports in helping shift cargo from land-based networks to shipping was mentioned and discussed by the various Port Authorities partici-
pating: Andrea Annunziata illustrated the projects underway in Salerno to develop the Motorways of the Sea both logistically and otherwise, while Luciano Canepa, Chairman of the Ancona Port Authority, affirmed the efforts made to re- duce pollution and the use of alternative energy sources, affirming that “Ancona has adopted the motto ‘from land to sea”. Mr Hatzakos presented the Piraeus Port modernisation plan while Mr Platikostas underlined the strategic objectives for the coming years, such as the strength- ening of the role of Patras as the Western gateway from Greece and the Balkans to Italy and Western Europe. Finally, Mr Bird focused on the huge potential for fu- el and corresponding CO2 savings in sea transportation from Spain and Portugal to the UK, while Mr Isiktas highlighted the importance of short sea shipping- based logistics for Ford Otosan, particularly for the company’s exports to Europe and the Mediterranean.
From left to right: Tommaso Affinita, Andrea Annunziata, Simon Bird, Luciano Canepa, Alfons Guinier, Stavros Hatzakos, Recai Isiktas, Konstantinos Platikostas, Emanuele Grimaldi
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Italian 2010 Shipping Awards
sented the “Cruise or Ferry operator
of the year” award. The prestigious
awards were sponsored by the daily
London newspaper, Lloyd’s List, the
oldest maritime publication in the
world and were supported and coor-
dinated by the specialised magazine
“Ship2Shore”. Prizes were awarded to
16 Italian operators for different catago-
ries.
of its type (the first being held in Na-
ples in 2008), took place on the 21st of
October at the maritime station of the
Port of Genoa. The award was received
by Guido Grimaldi, son of Emanuele
Grimaldi and commercial manager of
the Group’s Short Sea department.
The judges, made up of ten important
personalities in the maritime world,
including the President of Confitarma
(the Italian Shipowners Association),
Grimaldi Group with the award for the
investments made in recent years, par-
ticularly for the development of its f leet
and the acquisition of the ferry opera-
tors Minoan Lines and Finnlines.
The Group receives Lloyd’s List Italian Shipping Award
Guido Grimaldi receiving the award from Aldo Frulio, Chairman of Unitramp Shipbrokers
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zine “Transportes & Negocios” as
The award was received by the lo-
cal commercial manager Mario
the 25th of November at Leixões.
This award, directly voted for by
the Portuguese shippers and for-
warders, demonstrates not only the
importance that Portugal gives to
the African market, but also the
continuous improvement of the
the progressive deployment of
In a ceremony held last 4th of No-
vember at the Teatro Sannazzaro
of Naples, Inarme (Industria Arma-
mento Meridionale), a company of the
Grimaldi Group, received the Campa-
nia Award 2010 in the "value-makers"
category.
to “the excellent companies of the
Campania Region which, even in time
of crisis, build successful stories and
represent positively the Region in Italy
and abroad." In particular, the com-
pany Inarme was awarded for having
achieved the best performance of the
financial statement in 2009.
also the Golden Lion, the award real-
ised in collaboration with Nielsen and
assigned to the companies that have
better invested in communication.
emony was Advertising Manager Ing.
Mariano Baldissara whom the awards
were handed over to.
“Best Line” award to Grimaldi Portugal for the 2nd year in a row
The Campania Region awards Grimaldi
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atlantic nEtwork
In the framework of its expansion in the African Continent, the Grimaldi Group has inaugurated a new dedicated Ro-
Ro terminal located in the port of Cotonou (Benin) in a joint venture with Beninese interests. Launched last 5th of November, the ter- minal has a total surface of 42,000 sqm, of which 36,000 sqm are already de- veloped and exploitable, and boasts a direct access to the road network. The terminal’s current capacity is of 2,400 units, between cars and vans, which will become 2,800 units in May 2011. It offers stevedoring activities to all the Grimaldi vessels calling at Cotonou and handles new and used cars, besides rolling car- go. Up to 2,500 vehicles can be received every day which are transferred to sales parks, with a current productivity of 100 vehicles handled per hour. The new terminal offers several top quality services such as the electronic tally system linked to manifests, to the London operations department and the vessel system, finalised to fully match and satisfy all customers. In particular, the vessel system allows the tracking of vehicles discharged at any time, with the possibility to work 24 hours a day: this is an additional advantage since the difficult conditions of the country do not allow any carriers to discharge vehicles during the night. Moreover, the security of the discharged vehicles has been increased thanks to
a last generation camera system posi- tioned both on the quay and on the ter- minal. The port of Cotonou is one of the ports called by the Grimaldi regular services linking North America and North Eu- rope with over 20 ports of West Africa:
the Group has further strengthened its presence on the Atlantic routes not only through new maritime services but also through the landside logistics and car storage facilities operating in the main port areas, the last new terminal being the one in Benin.
The Group opens a dedicated terminal in Cotonou With a total surface of 42,000 sqm, the terminal has a current capacity of 2,400 units between cars and vans, which will become 2,800 in May 2011
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EvEnts
On the occasion of the deploy- ment of the “Eurocargo Malta”, on the 23rd of September a cer-
emony was held to present and welcome the Grimaldi Group’s newsbuilding at La Valletta, Malta. Guido Grimaldi, commercial manager of the Group’s Short Sea Department, opened the ceremony describing the new vessel named after the State of Malta, as a demonstration of the commitment of the Group to the development of transport and mobility to and from this country.
“The Eurocargo Malta together with her sistership Eurocargo Genova represent the state-of-the art in the ro-ro industry.”
said Guido Grimaldi. “Thanks to their 4,000 linear metres intake each, they double the cargo capacity on the lines
between La Valletta, Catania, Genoa, Livorno, and also Libya, calling at the ports of Tripoli and Al Khoms, increasing at the same time the efficiency and the speed. Malta is today even more of a hub in our network and it is our aim to strengthen our commitment to improve maritime trans- port and mobility to and from this country with the rest of the European Union and the neighbouring Northern African nations”. The event was attended among others by the Maltese Minister of Transport Austin Gatt, the Ambassador of Italy in Malta Efisio Luigi Marras, the President of the Malta Chamber of Commerce Helga Elull and the local media.
Malta welcomes the “Eurocargo Malta”
Welcoming ceremony on board “Grande Cameroon”
On the occasion of her second call at
Douala on the 23rd of September, a
welcome ceremony was held on board
the m/vessel “Grande Cameroon”. The
Secretary General of the Cameroonese
Ministry of Transport Soh Jean Pierre
and the Governor of the region, Fai
Yengo Francis, were received on board,
together with many customers and local
authorities, by the Owner’s Representa-
tive Ivan Tessitore and Bernard Shortt,
Deep Sea Lines manager director.
In his opening speech Mr Soh thanked
the Grimaldi Group for the honour of hav-
ing a vessel with the name of the country,
underlining that the “Grande Cameroon”
is part of an almost new fleet of vessels
calling at Douala, providing a significant
improvement for the trade and the general
competitiveness of the country. Mr Ivan Tessitore underlined that the
Grimaldi Group has been calling at the port of Douala for over twenty years, and that “with the launch of the Grande Cam- eroon, Grimaldi honors the long standing relationship that we have with Cameroon. We are glad that she will sail the world as a symbol of this relationship.” The “Grande Cameroon”, built at the Ul- janik shipyards of Pula (Croatia) in 2010, is currently deployed on the Southern
Express service, linking North Europe to various West African ports; recently the frequency of this service has been improved to every 12 days. The unit has a gross tonnage of 50,000 tonnes, and, with an ideal intake of 2,000 cars/vans, 2,000 linear metres of heavy Ro-Ro units and 800 TEU it is an example of the flexibility and fast transit time provided by Grimaldi vessels.
Guido Grimaldi with Austin Gatt
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the Cyprus Rally, part of the IRC
(Intercontinental Rally Challenge)
Eastern Mediterranean.
ing various team rally cars from Venice
to Limassol, through its Adriatic weekly
ro/ro and container service linking the
Upper Adriatic to various Eastern Medi-
terranean ports.
containing rally cars and their mobile
machine shops were loaded onboard the
m/vessel Eurocargo Valencia. The rally
cars belonged to the teams of Munaretto
Racing, All Sports Management, Sthol
Racing, Koyo Ltd and Jipo Car (whose
driver Martin Prokop classified 4th and
was also elected in 2009 “World Junior
Champion”). In addition to the rally cars,
Grimaldi transported also some vehicles
of the television channel “Eurosport”, the
official TV of the Rally.
After the conclusion of the race, the units
were loaded on the 11th of November
onboard the m/vessel Fides and safely
shipped back to Venice.
Grimaldi takes onboard the Cyprus Rally
New Minoan Lines offices in Igoumenitsa
On the 7th of October Minoan Lines, a company of the Grimaldi Group,
inaugurated its new office in the port of Igoumenitsa, in the northwestern part of Greece. Situated at the Passenger Ter- minal of the port, it has a surface of 60 square metres and employs a staff of eight experienced persons, headed by
Mr. Theodore Makris. The new Minoan Lines office acts as a maritime agency, managing the booking and ticket issue for passengers, cars and rolling cargo. It cooperates with the local Port Authority and acts as supervisor for the safe passenger and vehicle embarka- tion and disembarkation to and from the
Minoan Lines regularly calling the port. Furthermore, the agency acts as a com- mercial promoter, both for passengers and freight, in the Northern regions of Greece. The decision of Minoan Lines to open its own offices in Igoumenitsa is due to the rapid traffic growth that this port has been experiencing in recent years, especially following the opening of the Egnatia motor- way linking the city of Igoumenitsa to the Greek-Turkish border. This new road link is the most efficient gateway for passen- gers and rolling freight moving between Italy, the Balkans and Turkey. Minoan Lines regularly links Igoumenitsa to Italy through their daily service to An- cona and the four-times-a-week service to Venice; furthermore, the port of Igoumen- itsa is connected with the Greek ports of Patras and Corfu.
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A 57-metre transformer from Naples to Genoa
On the 22nd of October Grimaldi shipped a large transformer on the Catania-Genoa short sea service. The shipper was the Italian company Fagioli, specialized in
the heavy transport business. The transformer had a length of 57.5 metres, a height of 4.2 metres, a width of 4.5 metres and a weight of 238 tonnes. The unit was loaded during a special call at the port of Naples by the m/vessel Eurocargo Malta which then proceeded, without any changes to its schedule, to the port of Genoa, where the special cargo was discharged.
Drilling rig transported by Plate Logistics from China to Argentina
P late Logistics SA, the logistics and forwarding company of the Grimaldi
Group strengthens its presence in the Argentinean market: the company has recently moved a drilling rig of the Chi- nese company Sinopec International Pe- troleum Services involving 7,400 m³ of cargo transported by land from Zarate and delivered at a mine site in the vicin- ity of the city of Mendoza, about 1,200 km west from Buenos Aires. The suc- cessful execution of this shipment, and other similar ones, shows the expertise developed by Plate Logistics` staff in the project cargo field.
“The Best Creation Prize” awarded to Minoan lines
W ith a brand new appealing exhibition kiosk, Minoan Lines participated at the 26th International Tourism Fair Philoxenia 2010, which was held from 18th to 21st
November 2010 in Thessaloniki. In the impressive exhibition section of its highly modern kiosk, which highlights the company’s philosophy of professionalism and creativity, Minoan Lines welcomed travel agents from all over Greece, furthermore the company was honoured to receive the prize of “Best Creation”, awarded by Philoxenia 2010, for the unique, innovative con- struction and the functionally effective and aesthetically pleasing design of its exhibition kiosk which received glowing comments from many of the visitors. During the trade fair, representatives of the tourism industry from Greece and abroad had the opportunity to visit Minoan Lines’ stand and be informed of the itineraries and the commercial politics applied to the domestic and international lines, for the upcoming season of 2011.
Railway wagon shipped to Salerno
A railway wagon was recently loaded onboard the m/v Gran Bretagna
on the Euromed service route from the port of Southampton to Salerno. The unit had a length of 24.3 metres, a width of 2.7 metres and a height of 4 metres and weighed 67 tonnes. The wagon was delivered to Southampton on a special truck used for abnormal loads and was lifted off the truck by two cranes and placed on one of the Line’s 80ft mafis.
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