GG5G No12 DELIVERED TO GRIMALDI GROUP

Oct 31, 2022 | Shipbuilding & ship repair news

The 12th hybrid ro-ro ship of the Grimaldi Green 5th Generation (GG5G) class, named ‘Eco Italia’ has been delivered from the Chinese Jinling shipyard in Nanjing.

Like her 11 sister vessels already deployed in the Mediterranean and Northern Europe, she is one of the largest and most eco-friendly ro-ro units in the world for short sea shipping.

The Eco Italia flies the Italian flag, has a length of 238m, a beam of 34m, a tonnage of 67,311gt and a service speed of 20.8 knots. The loading capacity of her seven decks – two of which are hoistable – is twice that of the previous class of short sea ro-ro ships deployed by the Grimaldi Group: in fact, the vessel can carry some 7,800 linear metres of freight, equivalent to around 500 trailers and 180 cars.

However, the increase in capacity does not affect fuel consumption, thanks to the adoption of innovative technological solutions that optimise the ship’s operational and environmental performance: in fact, at the same speed, the Eco Italia consumes the same amount of fuel compared to the previous generation ro-ro ships, and is therefore able to halve CO2 emissions per unit transported.

The Eco Italia is equipped with electronically controlled engines and an exhaust gas cleaning system for the reduction of sulphur and particulate emissions. In addition, while at berth, the ship reaches the ‘Zero emission in port’ target: during port operations, the Eco Italia uses the electricity stored in lithium batteries with a total power of 5MWh; these are recharged during navigation by shaft generators and 350m2 of solar panels.

Group MD Emanuele Grimaldi said: “With their outstanding operational and environmental performance, our ‘Eco’ ships are revolutionising short sea shipping in Europe. We will continue to invest in this green revolution, as recently confirmed with the order of two more GG5G-class units, to be delivered by 2025”.

Upon arrival in Italy, scheduled for the end of November, the Eco Italia will be deployed in the ‘motorways of the sea’ network operated by the Grimaldi Group in the Western Mediterranean.

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