Although Eugenio Grimaldi and Matteo Catani were conversing on the same stage in Palermo just hours ago (with great cordiality and shared goals) about ETS and policies to promote maritime passenger and roll-on/roll-off cargo transport, the shipping forecast for eastern Sicily signals brewing competitive storms on the motorways of the sea between Grimaldi Euromed and GNV.
According to SHIPPING ITALY, the ferry company owned by the MSC Group is preparing to launch a new route from the port of Catania. Francesco Di Sarcina, president of the local port authority, offered no official information or comment (though he admitted meeting GNV’s leadership in early August). However, multiple local sources confirm a new project is taking shape and could set sail shortly after summer. The vessels likely deployed are the *Caroline Russ* and *Pauline Russ*, both operated by the Genoese shipping company under long-term time charters.
Initially, this would not be a Ro-Pax but a Ro-Ro service, focusing not on accompanied cargo (trucks with drivers) but on semi-trailers. The planned ports of call are Catania, Naples, and Genoa—essentially reviving a route similar to Tirrenia Cin (Moby)’s 2018–2020 operation, which was discontinued due to the company’s financial restructuring. If confirmed, GNV’s new Sicily-Campania-Liguria triangle would directly compete with Grimaldi Euromed’s long-standing Catania-Salerno service.
On the port side, MSC Group’s subsidiary is expected to operate from Est Terminal in Catania, which recently applied for a 25-year concession (under Article 18 of Law 84/94) covering roughly 35,000 m² at Piers 8 and 9 (Molo Crispi) to handle Ro-Ro and Ro-Pax traffic.
Further confirmation of GNV’s southern Italy focus came from CEO Matteo Catani during the recent christening of the new *GNV Orion* in Genoa. When asked about the deployment of the next two newbuilds (the third and fourth) under construction at China’s GSI shipyard, he stated they would serve Sicily-bound routes.
