SHIP2SHORE — 2026-07-03
Maritime and Ports
The Grimaldi Group presented its state-of-the-art vessel Grande Istanbul during a ceremony held at Autoport, the automotive terminal located in the port complex of Kocaeli.
The event was attended by Edoardo Rixi, Italian Deputy Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, together with Ertuğ Şevket Aksoy, Deputy Governor of Kocaeli, Aras Serafettin, President of UND (International Transporters Association), as well as other representatives of maritime institutions, port operators and leading industry associations.
It also brought together key customers operating on Grimaldi’s Short Sea and EuroMed services, alongside representatives of Arkas Holding, parent company of Egekont, the shipping group’s agency in Turkey, led by Vice President Bernard Arkas.
Guests were welcomed onboard by Guido Grimaldi, Corporate Short Sea Shipping Commercial Director of the Grimaldi Group who, during his brief speech, underlined the strategic importance of the country within its global maritime and logistics network.
Named after Turkey's largest city and economic capital, the Grande Istanbul is one of the 17 latest-generation, ammonia-ready PCTCs commissioned by the Grimaldi Group to further enhance the efficiency and sustainability of its global automotive logistics services. With a cargo capacity of up to 9,241 CEUs, she is able to reduce CO₂ emissions per unit of cargo by up to 50% compared with previous-generation car carriers.
The Grande Istanbul is currently deployed on the Grimaldi Group's EuroMed Service, linking several ports in Northern Europe and the Mediterranean, including Autoport, Borusan, Derince, Gemlik, Haydarpaşa and İzmir in Turkey. The service transports cars, vans, trucks, other rolling cargo and containers, providing manufacturers and logistics operators with flexible, reliable and sustainable transport solutions.
The presentation of the Grande Istanbul provided an opportunity to reaffirm the Grimaldi Group's long-standing commitment to Turkey, where the Italian shipping company has been active for almost five decades.
Since the mid-1990s, the Group has operated regular car carrier services connecting İzmir to key ports in the Mediterranean and in Northern Europe. In line with the strong development of the Turkish automotive industry, it later extended its maritime links to include ports in the Marmara region, where major vehicle manufacturers established their production sites.
A major milestone in Grimaldi’s growth strategy came in 2024, when the Group entered the Turkish short sea market with the launch of the Trieste-Patras-Ambarli ro-ro service. In response to strong market demand, the service was rapidly expanded to include Gemlik and today offers eight weekly departures.
Overall, the Grimaldi Group currently deploys around 20 state-of-the-art ro-ro vessels and PCTCs in Turkey, representing a total investment of approximately € 1,2 billion. The fleet regularly serves the ports of Ambarli, Autoport, Borusan, Derince, Gemlik, Haydarpaşa, Yalova, Yeniköy and İzmir.
In 2025 alone, Grimaldi vessels made 750 calls at Turkish ports, connecting the country to a global network spanning more than 150 ports in over 60 countries across five continents. During the same period, the Group transported around 560,000 cars, vans and other rolling cargo units to and from Türkiye on its Euro-Med services, as well as almost 100,000 trucks, trailers and containers on its short sea services. In doing so, it supported not only the country's automotive industry but also its agricultural and industrial exports. Looking ahead, in 2026 the Group is achieving +50% growth compared to last year, driven by increased capacity and service expansion.
“The friendship between Italy and Turkey has deep roots. Today, thanks to the concrete commitment of the Grimaldi Group, this historical bond translates into an increasingly strong commercial partnership”, said Guido Grimaldi, Corporate Short Sea Shipping Commercial Director of the Grimaldi Group. “We strongly believe in the Turkish market and in this country, which represents a unique logistics platform in the Mediterranean, at the crossroads of three continents. We have ambitious plans to further develop our short-sea and car carrier services to and from the country, thus supporting its trade relations with the rest of the world.”
Beyond shipping services, the Grimaldi Group also contributes to the Turkish maritime ecosystem through its regular use of local shipyards. In 2025 alone, more than 20 vessels underwent repair or drydocking in Yalova and Tuzla, supporting local industrial activity and employment.
Delivered in November 2025 by the Chinese shipyards Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding (SWS) and China Shipbuilding Trading Co. (CSTC), both part of China State Shipbuilding Corporation Limited (CSSC), the vessel measures 200 metres in length, 38 metres in beam and has a gross tonnage of approximately 77,500 tonnes.