First liquefied natural gas vessel for Corsica
Corsica Linea’s innovation flagship, A Galeotta, will make its maiden commercial passage this Sunday, January 8, 2023, following its grand opening and blessing in its home port of Ajaccio on Thursday, January 5. .. Friday January 6 presented in Marseille
A month after leaving the Visentini shipyard in Porto Piro near Venice, In Galeotta On Thursday, January 5, 2023, in Ajaccio, around 600 political, economic, institutional, consular and associative personalities were invited to discover the last ship of Corsica Linea.
It was a time of joy, emotion, and pride for the company’s employees as well as for the managers. Because, for everyone else, there was also a sense of being eclipsed by a small boost in naval history on January 5. In Galeotta the name refers to Pasquale Paoli’s flagship, it’s a bit like a combination of all innovations” We are celebrating both the arrival of the first new vessel to Corsica in 11 years, our first new vessel and the first vessel to serve Corsica with liquefied natural gas. As of January 8, we will be the only shipping company sailing on liquefied natural gas (LNG) in the Mediterranean. Pierre-Antoine Villanova, managing director of Corsica Linea.
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Fuel replacement will happen gradually. First, LNG will be used during part of the passage, especially when approaching Corsica and the continental coast, then later “gradually during the entire period.
Zero fine particles
Whatever the schedule, a major ecological turning point has been achieved. ” This ship is characterized by zero sulfur and fine particle emissions. Nitrogen oxide emissions are reduced by 90%, and CO2 emissions by 20%.”
Faced with rising global natural gas prices caused by the war in Ukraine, the island shipowner remains determined. “Four years ago, when we placed an order for this ship, its price was equal to the price of diesel. Now it is four times more. This does not change anything about our beliefs. We have chosen to accept lower returns. We must lead by example and fulfill our obligations.”.
The company is sure of it, it is his desire” go to the end of values” it is one of the levers that allow it to move forward. ” By being constant in this regard, we are able to get the support of all interested parties, of course, our sailors, as well as the administration and banks. » and specifically refers to the Crédit Agricole group “under the direction of Crédit Agricole de Corse and which played a central role in the implementation of this project”, we congratulate each other.
The greenest of the red ships is also the ship with the largest cargo capacity, 170 trailers, or 30 more than the average of the other ships in service within the company.
Under these circumstances, even if Ajaccio claims to be its port and weekend stop, it’s Bastia.” who needs more freight” will serve on business days.
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There is also a symmetry between the construction of the latest addition to the Corsica Linea and its operation. ” We decided to approach Visentini Shipyards, a family shipyard similar to ours. We have not been to China and Korea”the ship owner insists.
Yesterday, in the port of Ajaccio, the ship again embarked on a successful, more global trajectory. ” In 2016, we started with 6 ships. Today we have nine ships. We have almost doubled the number of passenger and freight trailers transported between Marseille and Corsica compared to the first year of operation. “, we continue by focusing on one ” team success “. It developed and formed naturally and gradually. According to the CEO, good management set the pace. consisted of, “giving meaning to what we do”, and build a new trajectory in the same spirit. And the initial logic will quickly pass. “Initially, the project was adapted to the need to make the freight service to Corsica more reliable, a goal that was quickly achieved”remembers
180 million euros
As the entrepreneurial strategy gains momentum, the course set ” three pillars, environment, society and customer. Today, in terms of customer satisfaction, we are in the first quarter of Europe, on the same level as Scandinavian companies. Regarding our public commitment, choosing the French flag is a confirmation of high performance and demand in terms of, for example, environmental quality, ship safety and social laws. This pavilion regularly climbs to the top of international rankings.”, the general manager prepares. The company believes that there is a convergence between these developments and increasingly greener and more sustainable navigation. Even if it means decarbonizing by going a few steps further.
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“The SECA standards, which limit sulfur emissions from ships to 0.1%, will come into force in 2025. Since 2020, these standards have been applied to 5 of our ships. the Pascal Paolithe John Nicollithe Paglia Orbaequipped with electric connection to the docks », he continues. This is a total of 180 million euros invested in favor of the environmental transition over three years. However, we believe there is still a long way to go and an ambition to defend.” To be the most modern passenger and cargo transportation company in the Mediterranean “. Corsica Linea president Pascal Trojani shows the drawn line. ” Now we are entering the second phase in the company’s life, focused on growth that respects the environment and is based on its social foundations.”,
In 2022, 863,000 passengers traveled between Corsica and Marseille on its ships and 127,000 on trailers.
