Grimaldi News 69

QUARTERLY PUBLICATION OF THE GRIMALDI GROUP January/MrARCH 2015 imaldi GNEWS 69 • EU TransporT CommissionEr visiTs aET • FlEET FUrThEr inCrEasEd Tariffa Regime Libero: Poste Italiane SpA - Spedizione in Abbonamento Postale - 70% DCB Napoli Abbonamento Postale Italiane SpA - Spedizione in Poste Regime Libero: Tariffa XXXXXXXXXXX EDITORIAL Impressive growth marks start of 2015 he Grimaldi Group continues to grow at an impressive pace, as proven by the flurry of vessel deliveries, newbuilding orders and service upgrades seen dur- Contents Ting the first few months of this year. Among the latest vessels to join the fleet are two South Korea-built sister ships - the “Grande Tema” and “Grande Cotonou” - numbers two and three in a series 3 The Grimaldi Group further of six. These con-ros, which have a capacity of 5,700 linear metres and 1,800 increases its fleet TEUs, are being deployed on the Central Express Service to West Africa, replacing 4 EU Commissioner for smaller vessels. Transport visits AET When combined with the recently announced contracts for the purchase of three ice-class ro-ro vessels for Finnlines, it must be evident to all that our Group contin- 6 New direct service between ues to expand, at an accelerating rate, in all markets. In a sign of what is to come, the MED and North America we are now studying the possible build of a further five car-carriers with a capacity Mex Service enhanced for 7,000 units for developing our deep sea trades. Five shipyards are already on 8 “Grande Tema” and the shortlist and an order is expected to be made this spring. “Grande Cotonou” delivered With regards to service upgrades, the Mediterranean Express Service to West 9 The Group further expands Africa has been recently reinforced with the arrival of a fourth ro-ro multipurpose its links between Italy and Spain vessel, the 2009-built “Grande Ghana”, capable of transporting 2,000 cars/vans, New partnerships with 2,000 linear metres of rolling cargo and 800 TEUs. Cargo capacity is as a result Telepass and Trafineo up by 30%, while service frequency has been increased from every 14 days to every 11 days. 10 XVIII Euromed Convention in Crete On trans-Atlantic trades, we are proud to report the launch of the first direct, regu- 12 American Honda recognizes ACL lar ro-ro service between the Mediterranean and North America. The service be- with Premier Partner Award tween Civitavecchia near Rome and the ports of Baltimore in the US and Halifax “Cruise Europa’s” relief operation to in Canada will help facilitate, among others, the export of ‘Made in Italy’ products: the “Norman Atlantic” passengers the Fiat 500X and the Jeep Renegade for Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. Four ro-ro 13 News car-carriers are being deployed with a total loading capacity of 25,000 cars, offer- 14 Agents List ing a transit time of only 13 days between Italy and North America. Another Mediterranean service, one of our trademark Motorways of the Sea, is al- 15 Schedules so being upgraded. Following the success of the three-times-a-week ro-ro sched- - Mediterranean Short Sea Network - Finnlines (Baltic & North Sea) ule between Savona (Italy) and Barcelona (Spain), in January we deployed a ferry, - Atlantic Network and therefore cabins, on the route, upping the frequency to six sailings a week in - ACL each direction and opening up the market to accompanied units and passengers. - Euro Med Network Turning away from commercial news, European Commissioner for Transport Vio- leta Bulc visited Antwerp Euroterminal (AET) in February in the context of a visit jointly organised by ECSA (European Community Shipowners’ Associations), the Royal Belgian Shipowners’ Association, the Antwerp Port Authority, AET and our r imaldi Group. It was the Commissioner’s first meeting with the European shipping com- GNE WS munity since her nomination in November 2014. Ms Bulc, her cabinet and other Direttore Responsabile / Editor in Chief high ranking DG Move officials, among which acting Deputy Director-General Fotis Luciano Bosso Karamitsos, had an insight into the workings of a true intermodal operation where Progetto grafico /Graphic design (rolling, containerized and break bulk) freight is moved to and from Antwerp by rail, Marco Di Lorenzo truck and inland waterways. Pubblicazione trimestrale Quarterly publication Finally, we must pay gratitude to the role played by the master and crew of the Reg. Trib. Napoli n. 5150 del 26/9/2000 “Cruise Europa” in the rescue of passengers from the stricken “Norman Atlantic”, Stampa / Print: ROSSI srl - Nola (Napoli) which caught fire on a voyage between Greece and Italy last December. The Mi- Circulation 35,000 copies noan-operated vessel stayed at the scene for 24 hours while helicopters transport- Printed on 13 March 2015 ed those stranded from one ship to the other. Letters of appreciation have been received from authorities in Italy and from Anek Lines, the operator of the “Norman Atlantic”, though tragically not all passengers could be rescued in time. GRIMALDI GROUP Via Marchese Campodisola, 13 2 GNE WS80133 NAPOLI (Italy) Grimaldi News can be seen on line on www.grimaldi.napoli.it FLEET DEVELOPMENT The Grimaldi Group further increases its fleet ith the aim to further im- the ice class 1A, she has a length of Baltic-North Sea trades. prove its policy committed 193 metres, a gross tonnage of 23,235 Moreover, the Grimaldi Group is plan- W to the pursuit of excellence, tonnes and a loading capacity of 2,606 ning to order five new car carrier ves- the Grimaldi Group is in the process of linear metres. The m/vessel “Finnmer- sels with delivery by 2017, each with a continuously enhancing its fleet. Apart chant” has been deployed on the new cargo capacity of about 7,000 units in from the vessels ordered at the Korean maritime link connecting Hanko (Fin- order to satisfy its increasing needs. shipyards of Hyundai Mipo and those of land) to Rostock (Germany), launched These new vessels will be featured ACL at Hudong in China, Finnlines pro- in January. The three new vessels pur- with 12 decks, four of which hoistable, ceeded with the purchase of second- chased by Finnlines were previously and with state-of-the-art and lowest hand tonnage at the beginning of 2015. chartered to the Finnish company, consumption propellers and engines. The agreement was signed in January which has already tested their effi- Already five shipyards are on the short- for the purchasing of three ice-classed ciency and suitability to its maritime list for the construction of these giant well fit ro-ro vessels. The first of these services. The other two vessels, that vessels. The vessels are expected to be vessels is the “Finnmerchant” (ex-Dor- will be taken into Finnlines liner traffic deployed between the Mediterranean set, ex Longstone), built in 2003: with at the end of 2015, will be serving the and North America (U.S. and Canada). GNE WS 3 EVENTS EU Commissioner for Transport visits AET On the 19th of February Violeta Bulc visited the Group’s dedicated port terminal in Belgium together with high ranking officials of DG Move n the 19th of February the Eu- ropean Commissioner for OTransport Violeta Bulc, together with high ranking DG Move officials, visited Antwerp Euroterminal (AET), the Group’s dedicated port terminal in Bel- gium. This initiative, jointly organised by ECSA (the European Community Ship- owners’ Associations), the Antwerp Port Authority, the Royal Belgian Shipowners’ Association and the Grimaldi Group, is part of a greater effort of the EU shipping industry to raise its profile and allow EU decision-makers to better understand and visualise the intricacies and sheer scale of this industry. Ms Bulc started her visit with a 45-minute helicopter flight above the port of Ant- werp, accompanied by the Commercial Director of the Antwerp Port Authority Luc Arnouts. After landing at AET, Ms Bulc and her cabinet staff, together with various high ranking officials of DG Move, among which Fotis Karamitsos, acting deputy director-general, were welcomed by Ema- nuele Grimaldi, managing director of the After a brief welcoming ceremony, The visit and the ensuring exchanges Grimaldi Group and by AET’s managing guests were given an on-site visit to AET, between Commission officials and in- director Yves Delariviere. Present were guided by Yves Delariviere: after a short dustry representatives took place in an also the Italian Ambassador to Belgium Alfredo Bastianelli, the deputy Italian introduction to the terminal’s activities, atmosphere of constructive dialogue and Representative to the European Commis- the visit continued on-board the “Grande mutual understanding. sion Marco Peronaci, the Commercial Di- Gabon”, a Grimaldi vessel deployed on During the visit Commissioner Bulc af- rector of the Antwerp Port Authority Luc the service between North Europe and firmed that Europe needs a top-quality Arnouts and many other guests. West Africa. shipping sector that can compete inter- 4 GNE WS nationally, as it’s a key pillar of the Euro- bodywork services. pean economy. “The EU controls 40% of AET is one of the main hubs of the Group: the world’s gross tonnage and more than it is called by the Deep Sea services link- 75% of EU trade is carried by sea. That ing Northern Europe with West Africa is why today’s visit to the Port of Antwerp and South America, the ACL service was of particular importance, as it marks linking North America with North Eu- my first meeting with the European ship- rope, and the Euromed network service, ping community”. She added that the linking Northern Europe to the whole European shipping industry has a real Mediterranean area.

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