Gnv is reinforcing ro-ro maritime links between Italy and Morocco with the introduction of two liquefied natural gas-powered vessels. Gnv Aurora will enter service on 1 June 2026, followed by Gnv Virgo on 1 July, operating on the Genoa–Tanger Med route via Barcelona, with the Catalan port serving as a transit hub. Both ships will be based in Genoa, where they will refuel with LNG every four days. The initiative responds to growing passenger demand, particularly linked to the seasonal flows of Operation Marhaba, the annual plan involving more than three million Moroccan citizens living abroad. The deployment of the new units will increase capacity and improve service regularity, offering higher travel standards. Each vessel can carry more than 1,700 passengers, features 426 cabins and provides cargo capacity of up to 2,780 linear metres.
The network expansion comes amid the growing importance of connections between the two shores of the Mediterranean, also from a commercial perspective. Tanger Med is one of North Africa’s main hubs and a strategic gateway to African markets. In this context, the link with Genoa strengthens Italy’s role as a logistics platform, supporting the integration of supply chains and trade flows between Europe and Morocco.
The company says the new vessels are designed to improve operational efficiency and the competitiveness of maritime transport, also thanks to increased cargo capacity, at a time when Morocco is experiencing steady economic expansion and strengthening its position in international trade. The investment also has an environmental component. The ships are powered by liquefied natural gas, a technology that, according to the company, enables a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions of up to 50% per unit of cargo transported compared with previous-generation vessels. They are also equipped for shore power supply while in port.
Gnv has entrusted the management of its activities in Morocco to Carole Montarsolo, appointed managing director of Gnv Morocco last October, while Mohammed Kabbaj continues to oversee institutional and commercial relations. The strengthening of the routes has been developed in collaboration with Moroccan institutions, including the Ministry of Transport and Logistics (Ministero dei Trasporti e della Logistica), the Merchant Navy (Marina mercantile) and the Mohammed V Foundation (Fondazione Mohammed V), as well as the port of Tanger Med.
