Compagnie tunisienne de navigation
Encyclopedia
The Compagnie tunisienne de navigation (CTN) is a Tunisia
n shipping line
, providing regular passenger ferry connections between Tunisia and the ports of Marseille
and Genoa
, as well as freight transport to Barcelona
and Livorno
.
Founded on March 7, 1959, it initially concentrated on the development of regular shipping links between Tunisia and its principal trading partners, essentially serving only Marseille and Rouen
. However, with the drive to diversify Tunisian overseas trade, it rapidly expanded its route network to encompass ports in Italy
, Spain
, Germany
and the Benelux
countries.
During the 1970s, CTN expanded its presence in the transport of crude oil, petroleum products and foodstuffs. With the commissioning in 1978 of the ferry Habib, providing service between Tunis, Marseille and Genoa, it also increased its involvement in passenger transport. The fleet expanded with the purchase of the bulk carriers Moularès and S’hib in 1976-1977 and El-Kef in 1982. Moving to Roll-on/roll-off service, the line turned its attention to the renewal of its fleet, taking delivery of the El-Jem and the Tozeur in 1977, and of the Bizerte and the Kairouan in 1979.
Forced to re-evaluate its activities in the light of recent changes in the maritime world, CTN has gradually sold its older ships in order to refocus attention on its core businesses. It is gradually renewing its fleet with the commissioning of two large ro-ro ships of 18,000 tons: Ulysse and Salammbô 7. In June 1999, the line’s new Norwegian
-built ferry Carthage came into service. Capable of accommodating 2,208 passengers and 666 cars, and with a speed of 23.5 knots, it makes weekly crossings between Tunis and Marseille and Tunis and Genoa.
.
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
n shipping line
Shipping line
-History of shipping lines:Large-scale shipping lines became widespread in the nineteenth century, after the development of the steamship in 1783. At first, Great Britain was the centr of development; in 1819, the first steamship crossing of the Atlantic Ocean took place and by 1833, shipping lines...
, providing regular passenger ferry connections between Tunisia and the ports of Marseille
Marseille
Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
and Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
, as well as freight transport to Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
and Livorno
Livorno
Livorno , traditionally Leghorn , is a port city on the Tyrrhenian Sea on the western edge of Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Livorno, having a population of approximately 160,000 residents in 2009.- History :...
.
Founded on March 7, 1959, it initially concentrated on the development of regular shipping links between Tunisia and its principal trading partners, essentially serving only Marseille and Rouen
Rouen
Rouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages...
. However, with the drive to diversify Tunisian overseas trade, it rapidly expanded its route network to encompass ports in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and the Benelux
Benelux
The Benelux is an economic union in Western Europe comprising three neighbouring countries, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. These countries are located in northwestern Europe between France and Germany...
countries.
During the 1970s, CTN expanded its presence in the transport of crude oil, petroleum products and foodstuffs. With the commissioning in 1978 of the ferry Habib, providing service between Tunis, Marseille and Genoa, it also increased its involvement in passenger transport. The fleet expanded with the purchase of the bulk carriers Moularès and S’hib in 1976-1977 and El-Kef in 1982. Moving to Roll-on/roll-off service, the line turned its attention to the renewal of its fleet, taking delivery of the El-Jem and the Tozeur in 1977, and of the Bizerte and the Kairouan in 1979.
Forced to re-evaluate its activities in the light of recent changes in the maritime world, CTN has gradually sold its older ships in order to refocus attention on its core businesses. It is gradually renewing its fleet with the commissioning of two large ro-ro ships of 18,000 tons: Ulysse and Salammbô 7. In June 1999, the line’s new Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
-built ferry Carthage came into service. Capable of accommodating 2,208 passengers and 666 cars, and with a speed of 23.5 knots, it makes weekly crossings between Tunis and Marseille and Tunis and Genoa.
Fleet
CTN operate a fleet of eight vessels consisting of three RORO passenger ferries, four ROPAX ferries and one bulk carrierBulk carrier
A bulk carrier, bulk freighter, or bulker is a merchant ship specially designed to transport unpackaged bulk cargo, such as grains, coal, ore, and cement in its cargo holds. Since the first specialized bulk carrier was built in 1852, economic forces have fueled the development of these ships,...
.
Current fleet
| Name | Built | Enterered service | Tonnage | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amilcar | 2000 | 2010 | ||
| Carthage | 1999 | 1999 | ||
| El Kef | 1982 | 1982 | ||
| El. Venizelos | 1992 | 2004 | Chartered from ANEK Lines ANEK Lines ANEK Lines is a shipping company in Greece. It was founded in 1967 by numerous shareholders who were inhabitants of Crete. It operates passenger ferries, mainly on Piraeus-Crete and Adriatic Sea lines.... |
|
| Elyssa | 2000 | 2010 | ||
| Habib | 1978 | 1978 | ||
| Salammbo 7 | 1997 | 1997 | ||
| Ulysse | 1997 | 1997 | ||
Under construction
| Name | Built | Enterered service | Tonnage | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TBN | 2012 | 2012 | To be delivered in 2012 | |