Grendi is strengthening its maritime activities by acquiring this third ship, which it had previously been chartering. The con-ro, Wedellsborg, purchased from Navco—a company 51% owned by Grendi Trasporti Marittimi and 49% by Finaval—is in the Genoa dockyard from April 22, 2024, for necessary maintenance and repainting. Along with a change in name, the ship also change its port of registry from Bari to Cagliari.
Grendi states that the total value of the transaction is approximately 34 million euros, financed 70% by Crédit Agricole Italia, serving as the lead bank, along with Banca Popolare di Sondrio. Upon completion of the transaction, the ship has been leased bareboat to the company Team, wholly owned by the Grendi group, which will use it to transport containers and rolling stock between Marina di Carrara, Olbia, Cagliari, and North Africa.
The con-ro Grendi Futura was built in 2014 by the Visentini Shipyard. It measures 180 meters in length and 26 meters in width, with a gross tonnage of 21,800 tonnes and a cargo capacity of 11,585 tonnes. Its technical management is entrusted to K-Ships by Francesco Russo.
"With this acquisition, the Grendi Group becomes a direct shipowner again, reaffirming the company's long-term commitment to continually enhancing its range of connections and services. Grendi Futura will be used on both national routes to Sardinia and international routes to North Africa," commented Antonio Musso, CEO of Grendi Trasporti Marittimi.
