Grimaldi Group

The Grimaldi Group is a private shipping company owned by the Grimaldi family (Emanuele Grimaldi) and based in Naples, Italy. Grimaldi operates a large fleet of ro-ro, ro-ro/multipurpose, con-ro multipurpose, PCTC (Pure Car and Truck Carrier), ro-pax and cruise ferries vessels.

Shipping

The Grimaldi Group is a conglomerate of companies linked to the logistics business with a main focus on shipping. The main brands of the company are:
* Grimaldi Lines – covering the activities of two companies, Grimaldi Euromed and Grimaldi Deepsea, including maritime transport of cargo and passengers in the Mediterranean as well as freight only services between the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, West Africa, North and South America
* Atlantic Container Line (ACL) – Roll-on roll-off and container-based cargo services in the North Atlantic
* Minoan Lines – a ferry company sailing between Italy and Greece and within Greece
* Finnlines – a ferry company operating in Northern Europe and in the Baltic Sea
* Malta Motorways of the Sea – a ferry company operating between Malta and other Mediterranean countries

History

The Grimaldi family has had links to shipping for many generations. According to their own records, the oldest written records linking the Grimaldi family to shipping dates back to 1348, when three Grimaldi brothers received a precious relic as a guarantee for the chartering of three ships, and the newest member inherited the company (Emanuele Grimaldi the
first).

The current Grimaldi companies can be traced back to the middle of the 19th century when Italian shipowner Gioacchino Lauro started a steamboat company. His son Achille expanded that shipping company and, in the middle of the 20th century, it became one of the largest shipping companies in the world. At that time, Giovanni Grimaldi was a lawyer who was married to the sister of above Achille Lauro. Amelia Grimaldi-Lauro asked her brother Achille to take her son Guido under his wings, and this brought the Grimaldi family back into the shipping business. It was this son, Guido, who founded the group in 1947 with his brothers Luigi, Mario, Aldo, and Ugo by buying a Liberty ship.
In those years, passenger transatlantic travelling reached its peak. The Grimaldi brothers realized the needs of the market and promptly started to transport passengers, focusing on Mediterranean- South America routes, with comfortable ships that regularly connected Italy to Buenos Aires, Caracas and other ports.

Since the early 1960s, coinciding with Italy's economic boom, the Liberty ships were replaced with modern bulk carrier and tankers units, which enhanced the group in the transport of goods. For the Grimaldis, however, the turning point came in 1969, when the brothers inaugurated a new regular service between Italy and the United Kingdom, specifically dedicated to the transport of brand new vehicles. In a few years, all the major international car manufacturers knew Grimaldi and chose the company for the transport of their vehicles between Europe and the Mediterranean. Since then rolling freight has been the driving force of the growth of the group.

Over the last decades, the group proceeded with an expansion policy of its maritime network, of its fleet and shore services. The group's fleet increased from 36 units to over 130 ships and the brand became a landmark for the biggest vehicle manufacturers worldwide.

At the same time the group evolved to an integrated logistics operator, running a network of 22 owned port terminals located in the Mediterranean, Northern Europe and West Africa (with a total surface of about 6.2 million m2) and managing various land transport companies for door-to-door distribution of brand new vehicles.
In the last decades, the group has also strongly invested in the development of the Motorways of the Sea in the Mediterranean and Baltic Seas, thus promoting EU's policy of shifting goods from the road to more environmentally friendly transport solutions. The Motorways of the Sea network was further extended between 2006 and 2008 with the acquisition of Finnlines, leader in the Baltic region, and Minoan Lines, leader in the Adriatic Sea, totalling today more than 120 routes.

Tonnage

The Grimaldi Group fleet includes over 130 ships, of which about 120 are owned, with an average age significantly below the industry average as well as the useful life of the ships. These young and modern units are deployed on regular services in a network that connects over 140 ports in 50 countries and 4 continents.
In recent years, the group has invested heavily in the renewal and strengthening of its fleet, firstly by designing and commissioning the construction of new high-performance units with a reduced environmental impact. At the same time, numerous ships already in operation have undergone important green conversion works. About 80% of the group's ships are dedicated to freight-only transport between Europe, the Near East, Africa, North and South America. The remaining units are deployed for the mixed transport of freight and passengers in Europe (Mediterranean Sea, Baltic Sea and North Sea).

Freight-only transport

* Ro-ro ships for short sea connections, mainly dedicated to the transport of rolling freight and cars and regularly operating in the Mediterranean, the Baltic Sea and the North Sea. Finnlines’ ice class vessels, which are specially designed to navigate through sea ice, also belong to this category. The Grimaldi Group has recently made important investments for the strengthening of its ro-ro fleet. Between November 2020 and January 2021, the first three GG5G-class (Grimaldi Green 5th Generation) hybrid ro-ro vessels entered service in the Mediterranean. These ships use fossil fuel in navigation and electricity during the stop in port, guaranteeing Zero emission in Port thanks to the presence onboard of mega lithium-ion batteries. Nine of the twelve GG5G-class vessels will be operated under the Grimaldi Lines brand in the Mediterranean, while the other three will be delivered to Finnlines, which will use them to enhance freight connections in Northern Europe. All GG5G-class units will be delivered in 2021–2022.
* PCTC (Pure Car & Truck Carrier) and ro-ro multipurpose ships: extremely flexible vessels which can transport any type of rolling freight (trucks, tractors, buses, excavators, etc.) and special cargo ( railway waggons, helicopters, etc.). These ships are mainly used in the Mediterranean Sea as part of the Euromed network as well as in trade between Europe and North America. A recent order from the Grimaldi Group covered seven new highly innovative PCTC vessels that stand out for their size, flexibility and efficiency. Six of these units are already operational, while the last one will be delivered in the first half of 2021.
* Con-ro ships for the transport of containers and rolling freight on deep sea routes. Thanks to the combination of the stern ramps and the cranes on the deck, they are able to load different types of goods independently and simultaneously. All ACL ships, operating between North America and Northern Europe, and other group ships used on routes connecting Europe, the East coast of America and West Africa, belong to this category.
* The group has recently made an order to a Korean shipyard for the construction of 6 con/ro vessels of the G5 class with delivery by 2023.

Ferry operations

The Grimaldi Group deploys around 30 ro-pax vessels for the mixed transport of goods and passengers in the Mediterranean Sea, the Baltic Sea and the North Sea. With a fleet consisting mostly of modern and comfortable ferries, cruise ferries and a luxury catamaran, the group transports rolling freight, cars and passengers between the main European ports under the Grimaldi Lines, Minoan Lines and Finnlines brands. Fleet improvement initiatives have recently involved the two flagships of the group's ro-pax fleet. The two state-of-the-art cruise ferries Cruise Roma and Cruise Barcelona – both operating since 2008 – underwent major lengthening and refurbishment works at the beginning of 2019 which further increased their energy efficiency and made them the first ships in the Mediterranean with Zero Emission in Port technology. In fact, thanks to the installation of mega lithium-ion batteries that are recharged during navigation, the vessel is capable of cutting emissions to zero during port stays. Each of the sister vessels can currently carry up to 3,500 passengers, 3,700 linear meters of rolling cargo and 271 cars. In December 2019, Finnlines finalized a new order for the construction of two ro-pax units, which will be delivered by 2023. These new ships, which will inaugurate the innovative Superstar class, will be larger and more technologically advanced than the existing units belonging to the Star class. In particular, this investment is aimed at increasing energy efficiency and further reducing the emissions generated by transport activities in the Baltic Sea, while at the same time raising the quality of the services offered to the company's passengers.

Cargo

The company specializes in the maritime transport and distribution of shipping containers, automobiles, trucks, trailers, Mafi roll trailers, heavy construction machinery and other types of rolling cargo.Grimaldi News 76, p.8, https://www.grimaldi.napoli.it/pdf/gnews_76_web_1477660740.pdf The core business of the Grimaldi Group is the transport of rolling and containerized goods on a global scale. The dense network of maritime connections operated links the main ports in the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, West Africa, North and South America, and is conventionally divided into Atlantic Network and Euro-Med Network. The Atlantic Network includes all lines operated between the various shores of the Atlantic Ocean and is mainly dedicated to transport of rolling freight, containers, project cargo and special cargo. The group has been operating on these lines for over 40 years, taking on the role of market leader and guaranteeing weekly departures from the main ports in North and South America, West Africa and Northern Europe. The Euro-Med Network was born in the mid-nineties. It includes frequent and regular services calling at over 50 ports in the Mediterranean (including Turkey and the Near East) and in the Baltic Region (including Russia). The Euro-Med connections are mostly dedicated to the automotive sector. The Grimaldi Group has also been the pioneer in the development of the Motorways of the Sea in Europe. The wide network of over 120 short sea routes extends in all the Mediterranean Sea, the Baltic Sea and Northern Europe. For its short sea and deep sea services, the company deploys over 130 vessels, including ro-pax ships, ro-ro vessels, pure car and truck carriers, ro-ro multipurpose and container/ro-ro ships.

Notable incidents

* On 21 February 2025, a fire broke out on ''Grand Congo'' while sailing in the Atlantic ocean, in proximity with Bahamas. The crew was able to contain the fire.
* On 18 February 2025, a fire started on board of ''Grand Brasile'' while sailing in the English Channel. Crew evacuated by life boat, while the coast guard responded with a rescue operation for vessel and crew.
* On 6 July 2023, a fire started on ''Grand Costa D’Avorio'' while alongside Newark pier. Two fire fighters lost their lives while attempting to placate the flames.
* On 20 February 2023, a fire was extinguished by the crew on ''Grand California'' while sailing between from Antwerp to Italy, opposite Spanish coast.
* On 18 February 2022, a major fire broke out on Euroferry Olympia while it was in international waters near Diapontia Islands, northwest of Corfu, en route from Igoumenitsa to Brindisi, causing 11 casualties. According to the authorities, there were at least 292 people on board: 239 registered passengers and two refugees who were not officially checked in, as well as 51 crew members. Grimaldi confirmed that there were 153 vehicles on board. The fire broke out in the car deck, probably in a truck. The ship was brought closer to the north Corfu coast to offer better protection from the wind, and it was later towed to Astakos in hopes of making the fire-fighting effort easier. By 23 March the bodies of the eleven missing passengers had been recovered. The Greek Union of Lorry Drivers (SEOFAE) accused Grimaldi of overloading the ship; the company denied this, stating that passenger numbers were at only 42 per cent of capacity, all 159 lorry drivers had cabins, and overbooking of freight vehicles was prevented. The company also said that it complied with international rules forbidding passengers entering the garage decks while the ship is moving, though an Italian truck driver told RAI that he and many other truck drivers had previously camped in the ship's car deck.
* On 4 June 2020, a serious fire started on MV ''Höegh Xiamen'' while alongside Jacksonville Blount Island port, and lasted for three full days, before having been successfully extinguished by Jacksonville fire brigades. The vessel, before being finally declared a total loss, was under Grimaldi Group's time chartering and operation from Höegh Autoliners, for discharging and loading cars and used high and heavy machineries, on a regular monthly service in between Europe and US.
* On 21 November 2019 early morning, ro-pax ''MV Eurocargo Trieste'' faced a fire in her engine room. The ship departed Livorno just an hour before with over 200 vehicles on board and passengers, and was only 4 miles away from the port, when tugboats were re-deployed to berth her again, while fire brigades helped in extinguishing the fire. The reason of the accident remains unknown.
* On 7 October 2019, ''Euroferry Malta'' faced a severe storm after departing Cagliari port. Four crew members were injured while attempting to secure the cargo with lashing, and one died.
* On 15 May 2019, ''Grande Europa'' caught fire en route from Naples to Valencia close to the Balearic islands. The vessel was carrying over 1800 motor vehicles including a 1960s Bedford SLCO bus once used for public transport in Malta and owned by comedian Johnny Vegas. Two separate fires were started hours apart in different parts of the ship. The first broke out on deck 3 at 00:45am and was extinguished by the crew within 45 minutes. Some 2.5 hours later at 4am, another fire broke out on deck 8, spread to deck 9, and required ten hours to extinguish. Half of the crew had to be evacuated by helicopter, while the other half remained on board to help the immediately deployed rescuing vessels in extinguishing the fire. The ship had to be towed to Palma de Mallorca port, and the ship's third officer was later arrested along with two other crewmembers, charged with intentionally setting both fires.
* On 10 March 2019, a fire started on the ro-ro ship ''Grande America'' off the coast of the Finistère

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