A few days after opening the tender for the Genoa–Porto Torres service, Italy’s Ministry of Transport has now launched two more procedures for subsidised maritime continuity routes to Sardinia.

The tenders cover the following links, currently operated by Grimaldi Euromed:

• Civitavecchia–Arbatax–Cagliari
• Naples–Cagliari–Palermo

Each procedure is worth more than EUR 115 million. The contracts will run for five years, with a possible 36-month extension.

The service requirements are clear:

• Naples–Cagliari: three round trips per week, year-round
• Cagliari–Palermo: one round trip per week
• Civitavecchia–Cagliari: three round trips per week, with at least two calls in Arbatax

The new tenders are part of Italy’s wider effort to guarantee regular maritime links between the mainland and Sardinia under public service obligations.