Grimaldi hosted the 26th edition of the Euromed Convention "From Land to Sea" in Athens from October 11 to 13, 2023, where the Group outlined its development strategy at sea and on land. CEO Emanuele Grimaldi opened the event, providing an overview of the past two years, during which the company has added seven new vessels to its fleet, significantly lowering its average fleet age, now 40% below the global average.
Currently, 20 vessels are under construction for Grimaldi, 17 of which are 9,000 CEU Pure Car & Truck Carriers designed to transport vehicles, including electric ones. These ships have all received Ammonia Ready classification from RINA, allowing them to be converted to use ammonia as a zero-carbon alternative fuel. Grimaldi also announced plans to order nine Ro-Pax vessels by the end of 2024, which will operate in the Mediterranean and Baltic regions.
The Grimaldi Group is also investing in land operations. In Italy, it has acquired full ownership of the Darsena Toscana Terminal in Livorno, while abroad, it has taken a majority stake in the company managing the port of Heraklion, Greece, following its acquisition of the Igoumenitsa port in 2022. The company has also established three new shipping agencies in Brindisi, Amsterdam, and Shanghai, acquired the Danish Niels Winter Agency, and integrated the operations of Grimaldi France Agency, Grimaldi Maroc, and Grimaldi Cote d’Ivoire.
During the conference, Emanuele Grimaldi emphasized, "We are living in crucial times for the future of shipping and logistics due to global issues such as geopolitical tensions, rising interest rates, inflation, and a new form of protectionism, which has led to an increasing number of unilateral trade barriers."
