Grimaldi Lines is focusing heavily on the development of its ro-ro services from Spain since this mode of transport enables regular services that are better adapted to its freight customers' Just in Time strategy. The shipping company is preparing for a rise in demand from its two home ports of Barcelona and Valencia, particularly if Spanish exports remain strong. Interview with Mario Masserotti, Adviser Representative of Grimaldi Group in Spain.
Like other operators working in Algeria, Amal Louis, Line Manager of Marfret's North Africa services, hopes for recognition of the shipping company's regular Ro-Ro services. The shipping company believes that the use of trailers has not been fully exploited in Algeria due to the difficulties of port passage and the country's weak exports.
The historic port for maritime connections with the Maghreb, Marseille has been experiencing a steady fall in roll-on/roll-off (Ro-Ro) traffic which was further exacerbated in 2013. The actors of the port of Marseille Fos however believe there will be a recovery.
The building of the Tanger Med port might seem to have had little impact on ferry traffic to Morocco. However, even if the number of vessels passing through the new facility remains limited, the port's potential for Ro-Ro traffic competes with the port of Casablanca.
Italian ports are attempting to thwart the crisis hitting the sector with full force by opening new maritime routes, notably to North Africa. Now is the time for partnerships, especially with Algeria.
A contrasting picture for trans-Mediterranean Ro-Ro. East-west routes are developing positively but traffic between Europe and North Africa is decreasing.
Marc Grolleau, CEO of Transcargo, which operates in Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia, and chairman of the AFTRI (French International Road Transport Association), is fighting for the creation of a Ro-Ro link between Marseille and the Moroccan port of Tangier, a project that for him “spells the future”.
