The ferry and cruise operator has established Heraklion Port SA, along with affiliates Grimaldi Euromed SpA and Minoan Lines SA, and purchased a majority shareholding in Heraklion Port Authority.

For a total price of €80M, the Italian has group acquired 67% of the capital of the company that manages the largest and busiest seaport in Crete. The port had been put out to tender by the Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund (HRADF, a member company of GROWTHFUND – The National Fund of Greece), which organises the management and privatisation of public assets in Greece. This new, strategic investment follows Grimaldi Group’s recent acquisition of a majority stake in Igoumenitsa Port Authority SA.

In the photo (L to R): The CEO of GROWTHFUND – The National Fund of Greece, Gregory D Dimitriadis; the Deputy Minister of Development, Maximos Senetakis; the Minister of Rural Development and Food, Lefteris Avgenakis; the Minister of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy, Christos Stylianides; the Minister of Finance, Kostis Hatzidakis; the CEO of the Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund, Dimitris Politis; the President and CEO of Grimaldi Euromed SpA, Emanuele Grimaldi; the Corporate Short Sea Commercial Director of Grimaldi Group, Guido Grimaldi; President of the Board and Managing Director of Symmetoches Limenos Irkaleiou SA; Paul Kyprianou and the CEO of Minoan Lines, Loukas Sigalas.

The signing of the share purchase agreement took place after the approval of the Greek Court of Auditors, while the revised concession agreement between the Greek State and HPA SA will soon be ratified by the Hellenic Parliament.

Separately Grimaldi Group Naples has taken delivery of its third G5-class multipurpose con-ro from the Hyundai Mipo Dockyard Co Ltd shipyard in Ulsan. GREAT TEMA will be in service between Northern Europe and West Africa from February next year.

With length of 250m, beam of 38m and 45,684dwt, the G5-class ships are able to transport 4,700 linear metres of rolling freight, 2,500 CEU and 2,000 TEU. Compared to the previous G4-class, the new vessels have the same capacity for rolling freight while container capacity is double.

Both the main engine and the auxiliary diesel generators meet the NOx levels imposed by the Tier III regulation, while the integrated propulsion system between rudder and propeller is designed to minimise vortex losses and, consequently, optimize propulsive efficiency and reduce fuel consumption.

The vessel is equipped for cold ironing with shoreside supply of electricity (where available) and electrical consumption of on-board machinery (pumps, fans, etc.) is reduced thanks to the installation of variable frequency drive devices. Low friction paints reduces hull resistance, thus increasing efficiency and the ship is equipped with hybrid exhaust gas cleaning systems for the abatement of sulphur and particulate emissions.

“The entry into the fleet and the operation of ships like the GREAT TEMA brings us ever closer to the major, primary goal of sustainable transport,” stated Gian Luca Grimaldi, President of Grimaldi Group SpA. “Indeed, for years we have clearly and concretely pointed our investments in this direction: to meet our customers’ needs while further reducing the environmental impact of maritime transport.”

Like her sister ships GREAT ANTWERP and GREAT LAGOS, which were delivered to the Group in April and August 2023 respectively, GREAT TEMA will serve the ports of Amsterdam, Hamburg, Tilbury, Casablanca, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Freetown, Cotonou, Lagos, Tema, Takoradi, Abidjan and San Pedro.