Giovanni Visentini Trasporti Fluviomarittimi of Italy has just reached an agreement with the Chinese shipbuilder Avic Weihai to build one roro ship with an option for a further one unit.
Italian shipowner Giovanni Visentini could not release any comment on this due to confidentiality clauses, but several sources close to the deal confirmed to Splash the investment.
This new project is for a roro ship with some 2,500 lane metres capacity and the first vessel once delivered will be operated by another Italian carrier -Grendi Trasporti Marittimi – under a five-year time charter.
From the signing date of the shipbuilding contract, Visentini will have six months time to decide whether exercising or not the option for the second vessel.
The Italian shipping company and the Chinese shipyard know each other very well since three 37,650 dwt handysize bulk carriers have been built and delivered to Visentini by Avic in the last two years. A fourth unit is set for delivery in the coming months. The technical and commercial management of all the new ships will be carried out by Levantina Trasporti, a Genoa-based company owned by Visentini whose fleet is made up by a dozen bulker and roro ships.
