MSC’s Ferry Company GNV Christens New Ship as Expansion Continues
Italian ferry operator GNV (Grandi Navi Veloci), which has been a subsidiary of MSC Group since 2020, celebrated the christening of its newest ship and the expansion of its service to Morocco as it continues a fleet renewal effort valued at more than €1.3 billion ($1.5 billion). The company points to a strategy focusing on the centrality of intra-Mediterranean connections and the increasing importance of Morocco.
As a demonstration of the importance it is placing on Morocco and the cross-Mediterranean traffic, the company is assigning its two newest ferries, GNV Aurora and GNV Virgo, to the route. The ships are also its first two LNG dual-fuel vessels. They were built in China at the Guangzhou Shipyard International, with delivery of GNV Vigo in October 2025 and GNV Aurora at the end of January 2026.
The 53,000 gross ton GNV Aurora had arrived in Genoa in early March and was operating on the domestic market to Palermo. It was christened in Tangier on June 1, kicking off the expanded service to Morocco. GNV Vigo will join the route on July 1.
Each of the sister ships measures 218 meters (715 feet) in length and has 426 passenger cabins. They can accommodate a total of over 1,700 passengers and have space for 2,780 linear meters of cargo. In addition to being LNG-fueled, they are prepared for bio-LNG and synthetic LNG and incorporate environmental features, including shore power capabilities, advanced emissions reduction systems, and heat recovery for electricity generation. They are fast ferries with a speed of 25 knots.
GNV highlights that it has been operating to Morocco for nearly 20 years and transported over six million passengers. Last year, it transported over 465,000 passengers on its Moroccan routes. The new ships will be running between Tangier Med, Barcelona, and Genoa.
The company notes the expansion is also part of a strategy on the road to 2030. Morocco, along with Spain and Portugal, will be hosting the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which is expected to create strong demand for the ferries.
GNV Aurora was the fourth new ferry delivered by GSI at a cost of approximately €360 million ($419 million) for the two LNG-fueled sisterships. Having started operations in 1992, the company today operates 26 ferries on 33 routes spanning a total of eight countries.
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While phase one of its fleet renewal plan has been completed, GNV has already placed an order for four additional ferries. They will each be LNG-powered vessels built by GSI. The first is due for delivery around the end of 2027, and additional vessels will follow at approximately six-month intervals.