The christening ceremony of the Grimaldi vessel ‘Grande Svezia’ has taken place yesterday at the Grimaldi Group-owned port of Wallhamn, Sweden.
The ship joins the Grimaldi Group’s ammonia-ready PCTC (Pure Car & Truck Carrier) fleet, including next-generation vessels designed for the future use of ammonia as a zero-carbon alternative fuel. The name Grande Svezia pays tribute to a country that has been regularly served by Grimaldi vessels for more than 30 years.
Built by China Merchants Heavy Industries Jiangsu shipyard, the Grande Svezia is 220m long and 38m wide, with a tonnage of 91,611gt and a service speed of 18 knots. Across her 14 decks, she can transport up to 9,000 CEU (Car Equivalent Units). In addition to her high transport capacity, the Grande Svezia features numerous green technologies. She is one of the ammonia-ready PCTCs in the Grimaldi Group fleet, which currently includes 11 vessels and will be further expanded with the delivery of six additional units by 2027. To achieve zero emissions while in port, the vessel is equipped with 5MW of lithium batteries, as well as cold ironing capability, allowing her to draw electricity directly from shore where facilities are available.
Additional sustainability features include 2,500m2 of solar panels, silicon-based hull coatings to reduce resistance, smart systems for optimising ventilation and air conditioning, and advanced exhaust gas cleaning systems that significantly reduce SOx, NOx and particulate emissions. An Air Lubrication system, an optimised hull design and an innovative gate rudder further enhance propulsion efficiency and manoeuvrability. Compared with previous generations of car carriers, this vessel enables fuel consumption reductions of up to 50%.
Image: ‘Grande Svezia’ (Credit: Christian Badenfelt/Grimaldi Group)
