Grimaldi completes its Eco quartet on route linking Italy, Greece and Turkey

The Grimaldi Group has completed its quartet of Eco vessels, further strengthening its leadership in the Eastern Mediterranean. The fleet operating on the strategic route linking Italy, Greece and Turkey has been enhanced with the addition of the Eco Adriatica, the fourth hybrid ro-ro vessel from the Group’s revolutionary Grimaldi Green 5^th Generation (GG5G) class to enter service on the route. The ship began operating on 17 October, departing from the Turkish port of Gemlik on her maiden sailing and ushering in a new phase for the service, which also calls at Trieste, Bari, Patras and Ambarli.

The new vessel replaces the Eurocargo Roma, doubling her cargo capacity. Like her sister ships Eco Salerno, Eco Mediterranea and Eco Malta, already operating on the route, the Eco Adriatica can carry up to 7,800 linear metres of rolling freight, equivalent to more than 500 trailers. With all four green giants now deployed on the service, the Group’s weekly carrying capacity on the Trieste–Bari–Patras–Ambarli–Gemlik route exceeds 4,000 rolling units, further consolidating its leading position in ro-ro transport along the Trieste–Sea of Marmara corridor.

The Italian group entered the Turkish short sea shipping market in September 2024. Since then, in response to growing transport demand, the regular service linking Italy, Greece and Turkey has been progressively expanded, with additional port calls and increased freight capacity.

Flagships of the Group’s green fleet, the Eco vessels combine exceptional cargo capacity with outstanding environmental performance, halving CO₂ emissions per unit transported compared with the previous generation of ro-ro ships. In addition, thanks to the Group’s Zero Emission in Port® technology, each vessel can operate with zero emissions while in port, drawing on energy stored in powerful lithium batteries. These are recharged during navigation by shaft generators and 350 m² of solar panels.

By expanding its Motorways of the Sea network, the Grimaldi Group reaffirms its commitment to developing ever more efficient and reliable logistics solutions, providing transport operators with a more competitive and sustainable alternative to road transport.