The Naples-based Grimaldi Group has exercised an option included in the agreement signed in January 2023 with China State Shipbuilding for the purchase of two additional vessels to transport vehicles and other rolling freight.
The company signed an agreement with Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Company Limited (SWS) and China Shipbuilding Trading Company Limited (CSTC) – two companies part of China State Shipbuilding Corporation Limited (CSSC) – for the construction of five PCTC ships, with an option for another two sister vessels. This option has now been exercised.
With a length of 200m, a width of 38m and loading capacity of 9,000 CEU (Car Equivalent Units), the newbuildings have been designed to transport electric and fossil fuel vehicles (cars, SUVs, vans, etc.) as well as other types of heavy rolling freight (weighing up to 250t). They will be among the first ships equipped with a new type of electronic engine whose specific consumption is one of the lowest in its category. Thanks to their emission abatement systems, the new units will comply with the most stringent limits established at international level for CO2, NOx and SOx emissions.
Thanks to design innovations and latest engines and systems, CO2 emissions index per cargo unit transported will be significantly reduced – potentially some 50% lower than that of other PCTC ships currently operated by the Grimaldi Group. In addition, the new ships will be built to the Ammonia Ready class notation from RINA which certifies that they may be converted for the use of ammonia as an alternative, zero-carbon fuel. They are designed for cold ironing with shoreside supply of electricity (where available), which constitutes a green alternative to the consumption of fossil fuels during port stays.
The deal with the Chinese shipyard for the construction of the seven PCTCs is valued in excess of US$ 630m. This investment is part of the Grimaldi Group’s fleet renewal plan, which includes 26 ships currently under construction: 17 ammonia-ready car carriers, five G5 class multipurpose ro-ro units, two GG5G class hybrid ro-ro vessels and two ‘Superstar’-class ro-pax ships (for the subsidiary Finnlines).
Group MD Emanuele Grimaldi said: “Investing in the design and construction of such large, eco-friendly vessels as these new ammonia-ready PCTC units means making a concrete contribution both to the development of international trade and to the ecological transition in the shipping sector. Our fleet modernisation project is extremely ambitious, but this is the kind of initiatives that our sector needs to tackle decarbonisation, one of the most urgent and demanding challenges of our time.”
The delivery of the two newly ordered PCTCs is scheduled for 2026. Like the five sister vessels, they will be deployed on voyages between Europe, North Africa, the Near and Far East, to meet the transport demands of operators in the automotive industry.
