The Grimaldi Group will be among the protagonists of the Fruit Logistica fair, the largest international event for fruit and vegetable logistics, which will take place in Berlin from 7 to 9 February.
During the event, in its exhibition space (Hall 26 / G-51), the Group will meet the main operators that make up the fruit and vegetable logistics chain, and will present its vast network of maritime lines operated in the Mediterranean basin with the Grimaldi Lines, Trasmed and Minoan Lines brands.
The Group’s companies offer frequent, efficient and regular services in many Italian and European regions, which are perfect for the transport of fruit and vegetables. For example, the Grimaldi Lines maritime connections between mainland Italy, Sardinia and Sicily are essential to the fresh produce supply chain – especially the Livorno-Olbia, Civitavecchia-Arbatax-Cagliari, Naples-Cagliari-Palermo, Livorno-Palermo and Naples-Palermo lines, where the Group offers transport services dedicated to accompanied vehicles, which are ideal for fruit and vegetable market operators.
The maritime links connecting the main Spanish ports on the Mediterranean – Valencia and Barcelona – to Italy and the Balearic Islands are also crucial for the fruit and vegetable sector. These include the long-established Civitavecchia-Porto Torres-Barcelona line, which is operated with the Cruise Roma and Cruise Barcelona, the flagships of the Grimaldi Lines ro-pax fleet and the first vessels in the Mediterranean with Zero Emission in Port® technology. Another key line in the Group’s offer is the Livorno-Savona-Barcelona-Valencia service, operated with 4 “Eco” ships, i.e. hybrid ro-ro units of the modern GG5G (Grimaldi Green 5th Generation) class, capable of transporting approximately 500 semi-trailers and 180 cars each and to make zero-emission port stops. As for the most recently introduced services, the twice-weekly ro-ro connection Salerno-Cagliari-Palma de Mallorca-Sagunto – the Group’s first line that directly connects Italy with the Balearic Islands – and those regularly operated by Trasmed between Valencia and Barcelona and the islands of Mallorca, Minorca and Ibiza have already become very popular.
The fair will also be an excellent opportunity to present the enhancement of the maritime links between Italy and Greece, in particular those connecting the Greek port of Igoumenitsa to Brindisi, Bari, Ancona and Venice, totalling over 40 departures per week. In this context, it is worth mentioning the use of two modern ro-pax ships both on the Brindisi-Igoumenitsa and on the Ancona-Igoumenitsa lines. Greek domestic connections, regularly operated by Minoan Lines between the ports of Piraeus (Athens), Milos and Heraklion (Crete), will also be presented.
Finally, the Grimaldi Group will present the “Long-Bridge”, an ideal service for the transport of fruit and vegetables from the Iberian peninsula (Spain and Portugal) to Sicily and the eastern Mediterranean (Greece, Turkey, Balkans) and vice versa: with a single reservation at a discounted rate, trucks can travel on the Barcelona-Civitavecchia maritime line and, after driving a short distance, they continue their travel by sea to Greece – sailing from Brindisi or Ancona – or to Sicily – sailing from Naples or Salerno.
The Grimaldi Group is the European leader in the Motorways of the Sea, which represent an efficient and eco-sustainable alternative to the road-only transport mode also for operators in the fruit and vegetable logistics chain: in fact, sea transport allows to avoid road congestion, delays in deliveries, high fuel costs, and guarantees timely and regular deliveries, thanks to the widespread connections offered by the Grimaldi Group among the most important import-export basins for fruit and vegetables.
