Grimaldi Group

Grimaldi Lines Eurocargo Barion the river Elbe in 2014.jpg

]]

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.[2]

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:[3]

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

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.[4]

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.[5] 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.[6]

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.[15]

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.[16] Consequently the vessel was declared a total loss and sold for scrap in Turkey.[17]

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.[18]

On 20 February 2023, a fire was extinguished by the crew on Grand California while sailing between from Antwerp to Italy, opposite Spanish coast.[19]

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.[20] 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,[20] 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.[21][22] 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.[23]

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.[24] 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.[25]

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.[26]

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.[27]

On 15 May 2019, Grande Europa caught fire en route from Naples to Valencia close to the Balearic islands.[28] 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.[29] 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.[30] 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.[31]

On 10 March 2019, a fire started on the ro-ro ship Grande America off the coast of the Finistère. Travelling from Hamburg to Casablanca, it was carrying around two thousand cars including four Porsche 911 GT2 RS vehicles originally intended to be the last ever made,[32][33] as well as 365 containers (some of which contained hazardous materials). Efforts to extinguish it were unsuccessful and the ship started leaning to starboard. Early on 11 March, the twenty-six crew members and the only passenger were evacuated; they were then rescued by the British frigate HMS Argyll (F231). The Grande America sank soon afterward, causing an oil spill.[34] The Grimaldi Group immediately dispatched in the place of sinking the Anchor Handling Supply (AHTS) vessel Union Lynx to monitor any ship's fuel spill, and organised the recovery of any floating container. Later on, the group sent there the vessel Island Pride, equipped with a modern ROV (Remotely Operated Underwater Vehicle) that reached the wreck at 4,600 metres sea depth, completed the patches on every holes and confirmed that there was no oil leakage.[35]

On 21 December 2018, four stowaways armed with metal bars threatened crew members on board Grande Tema travelling from Nigeria, demanding to be taken closer to the British coast.[36] The following day, despite Essex Police stating this was not being treated as a hostage, terror or piracy-related incident, British special forces seized control of the vessel and detained all four perpetrators without casualties.[37]

On 8 August 2017, a seizure warrant was issued by the Dakar Port Authority for Grande Nigeria until damage repayment was arranged. The vessel had broken her moorings and accidentally collided with a ferry docked close by. Diambogne vessel suffered severe damage to her hull that caused seawater to enter the engine room.[38]

On 27 November 2016, while en route from Valencia to Autoport-Izmit, MV Grande Anversa collided with general cargo Sider Capri in the Çanakkale Boğazı (Strait of Çanakkale) in Turkey. Both vessels reported minor damage but had to interrupt their commercial voyages, proceeding to the anchorage to undertake investigations and surveys.[39]

On 22 October 2014, Grande Francia encountered extreme bad weather conditions on the way from Tilbury to Hamburg. The vessel faced severe rolling and strong gust winds that caused ten 40-foot containers to break their lashings and fall overboard.[40]

On 7 October 2011, Repubblica Argentina ran aground in the Western Scheldt between the North Sea and the port of Antwerp and was pulled back afloat at the next high tide.[41]

On 8 March 2007, Repubblica di Genova capsized during an Antwerp port stay due to possible incorrect stowage and ballast. The vessel was loading containers and vehicles. A large portion of the cargo fell overboard, however, the vessel was rescued and towed to dry dock.[42]

Drug smuggling episodes

On 28 January 2020, in Dakar Senegal, onboard of the MV Grande Nigeria 120 kilograms of cocaine packed in 4 bags were found by the crew in the ship's ventilation system.[43][44][45]
Between 14 and 16 July 2019 German customs officials confiscated 4.5 tons of cocaine hidden in 211 sports bags on the MV Grande Benin while the ship was in Hamburg. 4,200 packages of pressed cocaine had arrived aboard the ship on the route Montevideo – Antwerp. According to the ship's documentation, the container was loaded with soybeans. It was the largest seizure of drugs in the history of Germany, the approximate value of which was 1,000 million dollars, which was a sensitive blow to drug trafficking. The drugs were destroyed under strict security measures. The national director of Customs of Uruguay, Enrique Canon, resigned on 1 Aug after knowing the case of the ship which added another seizure of the drug that had left on a private flight from Carrasco International Airport in Uruguay, carrying about 600 kilos of cocaine. In both cases, the controls of the loads at the exit were not adequate. The ship had berthed in Montevideo between 12 and 19 June where the drug was probably loaded.

genre	Shipping
foundation	1947
founder	Guido, Luigi, Mario, Aldo and Ugo Grimaldi
location	* Palermo * Naples, Italy
key people	Gianluca Grimaldi Emanuele Grimaldi Diego Pacella‡R1R‡
services	Shipping Terminals Logistics
subsid	Finnlines Minoan Lines ACL Grimaldi Lines
homepage	www.grimaldi.napoli.it

Shipping

History

Tonnage

Freight-only transport

Notable incidents

Drug smuggling episodes

Current fleet

Image gallery

See also

External links

References

Ferry operations

Cargo