Italy stays on the move
Sustainable newbuildings for the future. Emanuele Grimaldi looked to the future and confirmed that his company is committed to ‘green’ ships, and to sustainable business in general.
At the XXV EuroMed Convention, held in Sorrento in southern Italy this year, Emanuele Grimaldi, the managing director of the Grimaldi Group, welcomed his many guests from port operators and transport companies, as well as representatives both from governmental as well as financial circles.
“At the Grimaldi Group we focused mainly on the energy transition, as well as on further expansion,” the director emphasised, pointing out that his group reported its best results in the last twelve months.
“This was mainly due to our well-planned policies. The expansion of Grimaldi’s services to the Far East, as well as the increase in the size of our fleet, are the key steps taken by our Neapolitan shipping line,” Grimaldi explained in his opening address.
“In 2022 we took delivery of seven green eco ships. They’re among the world’s largest ro-ro vessels in their class – the Grimaldi Green 5th Generation class (GG5G) – and are amongst those units that go easiest on the environment. They have the capacity to carry more than 500 trailers,” Grimaldi continued.
Finnlines gearing up with green units
Ten more ‘green’ vessels will be delivered to the group soon, including six multipurpose G5 class ro-ro vessels for intercontinental routes, with 50% reduced CO2 emissions, compared to their predecessors, as well as two ‘Superstar’ class vessels for cargo and passengers (pictured below), with the capacity to take 5,000 lane metres of vehicles on board, for Grimaldi subsidiary Finnlines.
Furthermore, a contract has just been signed for the purchase of two additional GG5GF class ro-ro vessels. They will emit approximately 70% less CO2 compared to the average European cargo ro-ro fleet. And last but not least, an order for another ten pure car truck carriers (PCTCs) that can carry 9,000 ceu in global services, is about to be signed, following green guidelines.
But the expansion plans aren’t only about the massive expansion of the sustainable fleet. Recently, another 33% of Antwerp-based Euroterminal was acquired, so that it is now 100% owned by the Grimaldi Group.
In addition, the group has recently also completed the largest car park in Belgium. It also announced the acquisition of 90% of Brucato, a leading Sicilian intermodal vehicle transport enterprise.
Logistics and the environment
Grimaldi reminded his audience that ensuring sustainability for the environment has to be addressed at a global level, as this situation affects the whole world. Regional measures, as envisaged for example by the European Union’s emissions trading system (EU ETS), will certainly lead to the fragmentation of CO2 taxation at the global level.
Uniform legislation at IMO level could better address this. Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry, president of the IMO’s World Maritime University in Malmö, who also attended the EuroMed Convention, advocated this too. Emanuele Grimaldi was also supported by his son Guido Grimaldi, who, in addition to his duties in the group, also serves as president of the Logistic Association for Sustainable Intermodality (Alis). He took part in one of the two panel discussions.
Overall, Emanuele Grimaldi said, starting to wind up, it’s commendable that the EU ETS has the clear merit of having thrown a rock in the pond, calling to action all the countries in the world to participate in implementing carbon taxes.
Despite all the difficulties, there are signs of finding common ground between eastern and western, northern and southern countries in this relationship. However, “responsibility and pragmatism are needed from all parties involved,” he concluded.