Brussels, 05/09/2008 (Agence Europe) - The European Investment Bank (EIB) and UniCredit Corporate Banking have signed an €81 million loan agreement with Italy's Atlantica SpA di Navigazione (Grimaldi Group) to expand its fleet for the motorways of the sea in the Mediterranean. The loan will be advanced through UniCredit Corporate Banking as part of a total credit line of €250 million made available by the EIB to the Grimaldi Group. This credit line, with a term of 15 years, will be deployed to co-finance four Cruise Ferry vessels, ordered by Grimaldi from Fincantieri, at a total approximate cost of €600 million. The first tranche of €81 million will fund the acquisition of the “Cruise Barcelona”, which will begin serving the Civitavecchia-Barcelona route in mid-September 2008. The Cruise Ferry vessels built for Grimaldi will be the largest freight/passenger ships ever used in the Mediterranean, able to carry 2,140 passengers and 3,600 lane metres of vehicles (187 trailers and 215 cars). (O.L./transl.rt)