Grimaldi News 43 - Mwwg.it

Developments
Marco Polo explores
the Mediterranean
Two Grimaldi projects awarded EU funding for their aim
to shift cargo off the congested European road network
Two Grimaldi Group projects have
been approved in the framework
of the Marco Polo Programme II
of the European Union whose aim is to
promote alternative modes of transport
to road. The projects awarded with the
founding from the EU are called “West
Med Bridge” and “Albatrosss”. They
will shift about 4,7 billion ton/km from
the road to the sea producing total environmental
benefits of €135 million.
The “West Med Bridge” objective is to
significantly upgrade the Civitavecchia-
Barcelona link for the transport of passengers,
trailers, semi-trailers and other
rolling cargo through the replacement of
older and smaller ferries with the cruise
ferries Cruise Roma and Cruise Barcelona.
The aggregate loading capacity
of the two vessels is over 60% higher
compared with the vessels that they are
due to replace while fuel consumption
is only 10% higher. Other than very energy-efficient
these ships are amongst
the fastest and most comfortable ships
of their type in the Mediterranean The
service is intended to be a valid alternative
to road transport between Italy and
Spain, including Portugal.
“Albatrosss’” aim, instead, is focused on
the creation of the first regular maritime
link between Livorno (Italy) and Barcelona
(Spain) for the transport of trailers,
semi-trailers and other rolling cargo.
The project is an innovative and valid alternative
to the crossing via the Alps and
Pyrenees both for freight transported
between Italy and Spain and for transit
freight through these countries to/from
Central Europe.
The vessel deployed on the route is
the 2004-built ferry Florencia, whose
maximum loading capacity is in excess
of 150 trailers and 600 cars. With a
maximum speed of 23 knots and a ramp
capacity of 65 tonnes, the Florencia also
offers 97 passenger cabins. During the
third year of operation, a second ro/pax
vessel is expected to be deployed on
the Livorno-Barcelona route in order to
double the frequency and the capacity
of the service.
The two projects will contribute, with
their ecologically compatible services,
to reduce road congestion, to promote
transport safety and to protect the environment.
Black Sea is now part of the Network
The West-East Service extended to Sevastopol and Ilychevsk to satisfy clients
In late August, the Group extended its European
Short Sea network to the Black Sea, so completing
an extended network of ports and routes
that goes from St. Petersburg, in the Baltic Sea, to
Sevastopol and Ilychevsk, both along the Ukrainian
coast of the Black Sea.
The move resulted from an extension to the existing
West-East Med Ro/Ro Multipurpose service.
The weekly service is in fact now delivering to
Sevastopol and Ilychevsk cars produced elsewhere
in Europe and is served by large, modern
‘Grande’ class vessels which have an approximate
4,650 car capacity. The first Grimaldi Lines vessel
to cross the Bosphorus was the Grande Spagna
in August this year.
6 GNEWS