With the deployment of additional tonnage, the Group enhances the service offered between the Mediterranean and West Africa
In order to satisfy the increasing market demand, the Grimaldi Group has proceeded with different actions which will further enhance its Mediterranean Express Service (MEX) regularly linking the Mediterranean to West Africa.
As from September, the frequency of the MEX service will be reduced from twelve to ten days, thanks to the deployment of the four con-ro/multipurpose vessels Grande Ghana, Repubblica di Argentina, Repubblica del Brasile and Grande Costa D’Avorio. In addition, as from early 2016, a fifth vessel, sister to the Grande Ghana, will be deployed on the service, thus increasing the loading capacity and further improving the frequency.
The “Grande” class vessels have an ideal cargo capacity of 1,000 cars/vans, 2,800 linear metres of rolling cargo and 700 TEU each, and are equipped with two cranes on the weather deck with a lifting capacity of 40 tonnes. With a gross tonnage of about 52,000 tonnes and a length of 210 metres, the ro/ro multipurpose vessels of the “Repubblica” class can instead ideally carry 2,800 linear metres of rolling cargo, 700 cars/vans and 600 TEU each.
Thanks to these actions, the MEX service increases by 35% its cargo capacity, both for containers and rolling cargo. Furthermore, with the introduction of a fifth vessel, the frequency will be reduced to eight days while the extension (with direct calls) of the MEX service to other ports situated east of Nigeria is planned.
Launched in 2010, the MEX service is dedicated to the transport of rolling cargo, containers and project cargo, directly linking the ports of Valencia, Marseilles, Genoa, Livorno and Salerno with Casablanca (Morocco), Dakar (Senegal), Abidjan (Ivory Coast), Lagos (Nigeria), Cotonou (Benin) and Lome (Togo).
Moreover, through its various regular intra-Mediterranean services calling at the hub of Salerno, the Group also offers connections between West Africa and other Mediterranean ports such as Catania, Palermo, Cagliari, Tunis, Piraeus, Izmir, Mersin, Gemlik, Alexandria, Limassol, Ashdod, Beirut and Lattakia.
Finally, the Grimaldi Group regularly links North Europe with West Africa through three regular services, deploying about 20 con/ro multipurpose vessels, for the transport of rolling cargo, containers and project cargo. Thanks to these connections, cargo can be shipped to Dakar and then transhipped, with very competitive rates and transit time, to the African ports of Takoradi, Luanda, Pointe Noire, Douala, Libreville, Tema, Freetown, Conakry.