The Grimaldi Group is now the main shareholder in the Greek port of Heraklion with 67% of the capital. The purchase price is €80m.
The signing of the agreement with the state-owned Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund (HRADF) took place in Heraklion (Crete). The Italian group had previously won the tender. The HRADF holds the remaining 33% of the share capital and remains a strategic partner, according to the statement.
Grimaldi had previously been awarded a stake in the port authority of Igoumenitsa. By privatising the ports, Greece aims to modernise the country’s maritime infrastructure more quickly.
Grimaldi promises investments
Emanuele Grimaldi, President and CEO of Grimaldi Euromed, promised significant investments. “Our strategy aims to take full advantage of Heraklion’s strategic location in the eastern Mediterranean.” The port has great potential in both passenger and freight shipping.
The Grimaldi Group, headquartered in Naples, operates a fleet of over 130 ships and employs around 20,000 people. It is wholly owned by the Grimaldi family and is a multinational logistics group specialising in the operation of RoRo ships, car carriers and ferries. The group comprises seven shipping companies: Grimaldi, Grimaldi Euromed, Atlantic Container Line, Malta Motorways of the Sea, Minoan Lines based in Heraklion, Finnlines and Trasmed GLE.
The maritime connections are at the heart of an advanced logistics chain that also includes port terminals and road transport companies. The more than 20 ports and terminals owned and operated by the Grimaldi Group are located in 13 countries worldwide: Italy, Spain, Greece, Germany, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Ireland, Belgium, Egypt, Cameroon, Nigeria and Benin.
