Two more ammonia-ready PCTC vessels for Grimaldi: 17 car carriers now under construction for the Group
The company exercised the option included in the
agreement signed at the beginning of this year for the purchase of new units
that will transport vehicles and other rolling freight
Naples, 30 May 2023: The Grimaldi Group has further grown its
order book with two more new Pure Car & Truck Carrier (PCTC) vessels.
Last January, 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. The option for another two
sister vessels was finally exercised few days ago.
With a length of 200 meters, a width of 38 meters
and loading capacity of 9,000 CEU (Car Equivalent Units), the new buildings
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 250
tons). 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
state-of-the-art engines and systems, their CO2 emissions index per
cargo unit transported more is significantly reduced – up to over 50% lower
than that of other PCTC ships currently operated by the Grimaldi Group.
In addition, the new ships received the Ammonia
Ready class notation from RINA (Italian Shipping Register), 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 USD 630 million. This
investment is part of the Grimaldi Group’s massive 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).
"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",
stated Group Managing Director Emanuele Grimaldi. “Our fleet
modernization 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 their 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.