Author: Peter Oakley

H2PORTS Project: first refuelling of hydrogen tug master carried out successfully in Valencia

With the aim of pursuing green solutions for last-mile marine and first mile land operations, the Grimaldi Group, together with its subsidiary Valencia Terminal Europa (VTE), has begun testing the hydrogen-powered Tug Master at the Port of Valencia as part of the European H2PORTS project.

On 1 October, the first refuelling of the vehicle – a tractor for handling roll-on/roll-off cargo – was successfully carried out using a mobile hydrogen refuelling station provided by the Centro Nacional del Hidrógeno (CNH2 – Spain’s National Hydrogen Centre).

Tests continued throughout the week, with constant monitoring of the pressure and temperature parameters of critical components to ensure the safety of both the personnel and equipment involved.

Throughout October, the Tug Master was used and tested by Valencia Terminal Europa employees during daily unloading and loading of roll-on/roll-off cargo on the Grimaldi Group’s new “Eco” vessels. Operational use of the Tug Master has continued since and will do so until the project’s completion, scheduled for December 2025. If the positive results from this initial testing phase are confirmed subsequently, the Grimaldi Group will consider converting more vehicles in its fleet to hydrogen.

The primary goal of H2PORTS is to provide efficient solutions that facilitate a swift transition from a fossil fuel-based industry to one with low or zero carbon missions. The project, with an investment of 4 million euros, is funded by the Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCH JU), a European public-private partnership aimed at promoting hydrogen as a low-emission alternative. In addition to the Grimaldi Group and Valencia Terminal Europa, other participants include the Fundación Valencia port (project coordinator), the National Hydrogen Centre, and private companies Atena, Ballard Power Systems Europe and Carburos Metálicos. Through these project actions, the Grimaldi Group continues its search for cleaner fuels for port use, thus contributing to the decarbonization of transport-related activities.

The Grimaldi Group has significantly expanded its South American operations by introducing regular monthly calls in Colombia. August marked the maiden call of the Grande Abidjan in the port of Cartagena, signalling the addition of a new country to the company’s already extensive service network.

This development is part of the South America to North America service, which has been operational since the end of 2022. The service focuses primarily on the transport of cars and heavy vehicles, linking key markets across the continent. The mainstay of these new calls is the shipment of cars and high & heavy vehicles from Brazil to Colombia, and from Colombia to Mexico.

The standard service currently operates every 15 days, connecting Brazil (Paranaguá, Santos, Suape), Mexico (Veracruz, Altamira) and the USA (Freeport, Jacksonville, Baltimore). With the addition of Colombia, alternating vessels are operating monthly calls at Cartagena.

However, the Grimaldi Group is optimistic about the potential of Colombia with its over 50 million inhabitants and, if freight volumes grow as expected, the frequency of the Cartagena calls may be increased in 2025.

Starting from 14 September, the company will deploy two ro-ro vessels on the new regular service between Trieste and Ambarli (Istanbul), with two weekly departures from each port.

The extensive network of motorways of the sea offered by the Grimaldi Group in the Mediterranean is expanding with a new service dedicated to the transport of rolling cargo between Italy and Turkey: starting from 14 September, a new direct connection between Trieste and Ambarli, just a few kilometres from Istanbul, will be available, with two weekly departures from each port.

The new service will be operated by Eco Mediterranea and Eco Malta, the most environmentally friendly ro-ro vessels in the world. These hybrid ships, part of the innovative “GG5G” class, can effectively halve CO2 emissions per unit of transported cargo compared to the previous generation of ro-ro ships. In addition, emissions are cut to zero during port operations: when they are at berth, Eco Mediterranea and Eco Malta use the electricity stored in mega lithium batteries which are recharged during navigation thanks to shaft generators and 350 m2 of solar panels installed on board, thus reaching the “Zero Emission in Port®” target.

In about 50 years of presence in Turkey, the Grimaldi Group has consistently expanded and enhanced its services dedicated to the country, connecting its main ports to the rest of the world through its extensive global network.

Today, with the new direct Trieste-Ambarli connection, the Grimaldi Group is responding to the growing demand for high-quality maritime transport services between Italy and Turkey from its clients, notably some of the world’s leading manufacturers of automobiles and industrial vehicles, such as BMW, Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz, DAF, Scania, Stellantis, Kia, and Hyundai.

In fact, the new direct line between Italy and Turkey represents a regular and reliable transport solution between two strategically located ports: Trieste serves as a natural gateway not only for Northeastern Italy but for all Central Europe, while Ambarli provides a privileged access point to the Istanbul area and the entire economic district of Turkey. Additionally, by combining the new service with other maritime connections within the vast Grimaldi network, Turkish companies can export their products to Spain, Greece, Malta, Tunisia, Morocco, and Northern European countries on the Baltic Sea.

“Our group is a pioneer in the motorways of the sea and reaffirms its position as the leading player in this market, with systematic and significant investments in the quality and quantity of services offered to our customers,” commented Grimaldi Group Managing Director Emanuele Grimaldi. “In particular, with our new Trieste-Ambarli regular ro-ro service, we will strengthen the connections between Italy — and, more broadly, Central Europe — and Turkey, supporting the growing trade relations between operators in these regions. To do this best, we will deploy the Eco Mediterranea and Eco Malta: these ships have extraordinary features that have revolutionized short-sea shipping. We are proud to enhance our offering for the transport of rolling cargo in the Mediterranean with a new service that will stand out for its efficiency and sustainability, in true Grimaldi style.”

The fifth of six units of the innovative “G5” class joins the fleet, offering greater capacity and sustainability between Northern Europe and West Africa. 

On the  29 August 2024 the Grimaldi Group took delivery of the fifth multipurpose ro-ro unit of the innovative “G5” class at the Hyundai Mipo dockyard Co. Ltd in Ulsan, South Korea.

Named Great Casablanca, the vessel further enhances the quality of maritime transport services provided by the Grimaldi Group between Northern Europe and West Africa, like her four sister ships already in service she has a length of 250 metres, beam of 38 metres and deadweight of 45,684 tonnes.

The design of the”G5″ vessels is the result of a careful study of the needs of the Group and its customers: thanks to an innovative and completely customized internal configuration, these ships are able to transport 4,700 linear metres of rolling freight, 2,500 CEU (Car Equivalent Units) and 2,000 TEU (Twenty Foot Equivalent Units). Compared to the previous G4-class, they have the same capacity for rolling freight while their container capacity is double. In addition to loading capacity, the Great Casablanca stands out for her numerous cutting-edge technological solutions aimed at increasing energy efficiency and reducing environmental impact. The result is a significant reduction in CO2 emissions per tonne transported of up to 43% less compared to other Grimaldi con-ro multipurpose vessels.

“We are proud to present the Great Casablanca, a new technological gem that helps make our fleet younger and more efficient,” commented Grimaldi Group S.p.A. President Gian Luca Grimaldi. “Thanks to our investments, we can offer our customers regular services with high transport capacity while ensuring maximum respect for the environment.”

Starting from this October, the Great Casablanca join the regularly Grimaldi Group’s route connecting major ports in Northern Europe and in West Africa.

Celebrations for Great Abidjan’s maiden call and Grimaldi Côte d’Ivoire’s 10th anniversary

Two milestones in the Grimaldi Group’s history in Côte d’Ivoire were recently celebrated in the Port of Abidjan: the maiden call of the vessel Great Abidjan and the 10^th anniversary of Grimaldi Côte d’Ivoire.

The Great Abidjan is the fourth of six G5-class ro-ro multipurpose vessels, boasting a length of 250 metres, beam of 38 metres and deadweight of 45,684 tonnes. Her design is the result of a meticulous study of the needs of the Grimaldi Group and its customers. With an innovative and fully customized internal configuration, this G5-class ship can transport 4,700 linear metres of rolling freight, 2,500 CEU (Car Equivalent Units) and 2,000 TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units). This represents a significant enhancement compared to the previous G4-class, as the new vessels offer double the container capacity while maintaining the same capacity for rolling freight.

Beyond her impressive loading capacity, the Great Abidjan also incorporates numerous cutting-edge, technological solutions aimed at boosting energy efficiency and reducing environmental impact. Thanks to these advancements, the vessel can reduce CO₂ emissions per tonne transported by up to 43% compared to other Grimaldi con-ro multipurpose ships.

The celebration for the Great Abidjan’s maiden call in the port she is named after coincided with the 10^th anniversary of Grimaldi Côte d’Ivoire, the Grimaldi Group’s exclusive agent in the African country. The company currently employs 37 Ivorian professionals, and has supported the growth of Grimaldi Lines in the ports of Abidjan and San Pédro over the last ten years.

Grimaldi Côte d’Ivoire Managing Director Vincent Grimler and Grimaldi Group Deep Sea Lines Deputy Director Giuseppe Patané welcomed key stakeholders from the port community and some of the Grimaldi Group’s major customers, who gathered in Abidjan on 17 July.

The event was further honoured by the presence of Amadou Kone, Côte d’Ivoire’s Minister of Transport, and Hien Sie Yacouba, Director General of the Autonomous Port of Abidjan. In their speeches, both welcomed the arrival of the Great Abidjan as a further sign of the Grimaldi Group’s commitment to port sustainability and innovation in Abidjan.

They also highlighted the importance of the Grimaldi Group and Grimaldi Côte d’Ivoire as key partners of the Autonomous Port of Abidjan and other port stakeholders, particularly in the development of its ro-ro terminal. Indeed, having become the exclusive concessionaire of the only ro-ro terminal in the Ivorian port in 2020, the Grimaldi Group subsidiary Terminal Roulier d’Abidjan (TERRA) has implemented its infrastructural development.

Hien Sie Yacouba praised the Italian company for its significant contribution to ro-ro traffic in Abidjan, which accounted for 66.4% of the total in 2023, underscoring its crucial role in the regional economy.

Amadou Kone also noted the significant growth in port traffic due to the shipping group’s ongoing investments, with a remarkable increase in particular in 2023, and emphasized Grimaldi Côte d’Ivoire’s pivotal role in economic and port development. On behalf of the Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara and Government, the Minister of Transport expressed gratitude to the Grimaldi Group for its vital support in modernizing port infrastructure, especially the Abidjan ro-ro terminal. In closing, he pledged the Government’s continuous support for initiatives aimed at bolstering the city’s status as a vital regional economic hub.

The Abidjan ro-ro terminal was developed according to the highest infrastructural and management standards, and represents an important gateway not only for the needs of Côte d’Ivoire, but also for the logistics corridor to landlocked countries such as Mali and Burkina Faso.

The Grimaldi Group currently serves the port of Abidjan with a weekly, direct con-ro link from Northern Europe, and every 9 days with a service to and from the Western Mediterranean. In addition, through the Salerno (Italy), Dakar (Senegal) and Tenerife (Canary Islands) hubs, the Ivorian port is also connected in transhipment with ports in the Eastern Mediterranean, as well as North and South America. Besides Abidjan, the Group’s vessels also call at the Ivorian port of San Pédro, the biggest in the world for cocoa exports.

On 14 May 2024, the GSAB2 (Grimaldi Satellite Berthing 2) project started.   This is the evolution of the previous GSAB project, which had been assigned to the Grimaldi Group by the European Space Agency (ESA) within its Navigation Innovation and Support Program (NAVISP) in 2022, and whose aim was to develop and validate the first assisted guidance system with satellite technology for docking manoeuvres of large PCTC (Pure Car & Truck Carrier) vessels.

After the success of GSAB, the new project will verify the suitability of the designed system to achieve the Autonomy Level 2 as defined by Lloyd’s Register: this condition is met when all actions at ship level are taken by a human operator on board the vessel, but decision support tools can present options or otherwise influence the actions chosen. In addition, GSAB2 will study the prerequisites for reaching the Autonomy Level 3, where decisions and actions at ship level are performed autonomously with human supervision.

The Grimaldi Group company Grimaldi Deep Sea S.p.A. will coordinate an international team with Kongsberg, a leading technology corporation based in Norway which specializes in the design of processing and signal reception technology, and RINA Services, the RINA Group company in charge of testing, inspection, classification and certification activities, that will make its expertise available to the project together with RINA Germany. Additionally, the Grimaldi Group will collaborate with Italy’s Radiolabs Consortium which will take care of the design, execution and validation of the system in real-world operating conditions.

GSAB2 will adopt the latest innovations on satellite-based multi-sensor technologies, studied and developed as part of GSAB, and will contribute to improve the efficiency of manoeuvres in port while further increasing their safety while reducing CO₂ emissions, in line with the Grimaldi Group’s strategy towards a greener and safer maritime transport. In addition, GSAB2 will also develop advanced algorithms based on Artificial Intelligence as well as an interface for the functions of the Ship Automation system.

Based on the excellent results from GSAB, Grimaldi Deep Sea S.p.A. intends to develop and test an advisory system to achieve safe and efficient berthing operations of large vessels, mainly focussing on the following features: vessel positioning navigation and timing for autonomous sailing and operation; berth planning for manoeuvring and sailing into and out of ports; advisory system for optimal sailing in confined port areas; Situational Awareness System; user interaction.

In addition, the GSAB2 team will study the prerequisites for reaching the Autonomy Level 3 by establishing an exhaustive set of requirements and verification criteria. This phase will involve a joint HAZID (Hazard Identification) study of an autonomous berthing operation, the development of Key Enabling Technologies, the analysis and definition of the user interaction philosophy and visualization, the identification of prerequisites for equipment and of requirements for interfaces for an autonomous control system.

The Great Abidjan has joined the Grimaldi Group’s increasingly large and modern fleet. She is the fourth of six multipurpose ro-ro units belonging to the innovative “G5” class and commissioned from the Hyundai Mipo Dockyard Co. Ltd shipyard in Ulsan (South Korea). On 23 April, the naming and delivery ceremony of the new ship took place at the South Korean shipyard. The event was attended, among others, by Diego Pacella, President of Grimaldi Deep Sea S.p.A.Amelia Grimaldi and the Italian shipping company’s Euromed & Far East/Europe Line Manager Luigi Pacella Grimaldi; Hyung Kwan Kim, Eui Sung Yoon and Sang Ho Jin – respectively President, Executive Vice President and Vice President of Hyundai Mipo Dockyard Co. Ltd – represented the shipyard at the event.

With a length of 250 metres, beam of 38 metres and deadweight of 45,684 tonnes, the design of the Great Abidjan is the result of a careful study of the needs of the Group and its customers: thanks to an innovative and completely customized internal configuration, the G5-class ships are able to transport 4,700 linear metres of rolling freight, 2,500 CEU (Car Equivalent Units) and 2,000 TEU (Twenty Foot Equivalent Units). Compared to the previous G4-class, the new vessels have the same capacity for rolling freight while their container capacity is double.

Along with her sister vessels the Great Abidjan stands out on account of her cutting-edge, technological solutions aimed at increasing energy efficiency and reducing environmental impact. As a result, the vessel enables a reduction of CO2 emissions per tonne transported of up to 43% compared to other Grimaldi con-ro multipurpose ships.

“The Great Abidjan is the outcome of a long and fruitful co-operation with Hyundai Mipo Dockyard which may continue in the future for the renewal of our existing fleet”, stated Diego Pacella, President of Grimaldi Deep Sea S.p.A. “Named after a port that has been regularly included in the routes served by our Group for years, the vessel will be deployed, like her three sister vessels already in operation, on our deep-sea connections between Northern Europe and West Africa”, concluded Diego Pacella.