The Grimaldi Group takes delivery of the Eco Napoli
All fourteen hybrid GG5G-class ro-ro ships are now in its fleet.
Naples, 14 March 2025: Today, the shipyard Jinling in Nanjing
(China) delivered the Eco Napoli, the last of 14 ships in the Grimaldi
Green 5th Generation (GG5G) class, which includes the world’s
largest and most eco-friendly ro-ro units for short-sea shipping.
The Italian-flagged Eco Napoli has
a length of 238 meters, a beam of 34 meters, a gross tonnage of 67,311 tonnes
and a service speed of 20.8 knots. If compared to the units of the previous
series of ro-ro vessels deployed by the Grimaldi Group for short sea routes,
the new ship can accommodate double the load on her seven decks (two of which
are hoistable): in fact, she can carry 7,800 linear meters of rolling freight,
equivalent to around 500 trailers and 180 cars.
However, the increase in capacity does not
affect fuel consumption, thanks to the adoption of numerous highly innovative
technological solutions that optimize the ship's fuel consumption and
performance: in fact, at the same speed, the Eco Napoli 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 vessel is also equipped with
state-of-the-art, electronically controlled engines and with an exhaust gas
cleaning system for the reduction of sulphur and particulate emissions.
Furthermore, during port stays, the Eco Napoli is capable of
cutting emissions to zero by using the electricity stored in mega lithium
batteries with a total power of 5 MWh, which are recharged during navigation
thanks to shaft generators and 350 m2 of solar panels.
"With the arrival of the Eco Napoli,
the GG5G fleet is finally complete: fourteen hybrid ro-ro units, with a total
value exceeding one billion dollars, which in recent years have revolutionized
short-sea transport in the Mediterranean and Northern Europe," stated Emanuele
Grimaldi, Managing Director of the Naples-based group. "Thanks to
their outstanding operational and environmental performance, and our continued
investments in the routes we serve, we will continue to enhance our Motorways
of the Sea offering more capacity, efficiency, and sustainability."
The Eco Napoli is expected to
arrive in the Mediterranean in early May, carrying approximately 7,800 linear
meters of rolling cargo (cars, vans, trucks, agricultural machines, etc.). She
will then be used to further strengthen the Grimaldi Group's ro-ro connection
between Gemlik, Ambarli, Patras, and Trieste.