Grimaldi celebrates the arrival of the Grande Manila

Delivery and christening ceremony for the Italian shipping group’s seventh ammonia-ready vessel, which is already set for her maiden voyage on the Asia–Europe service.

Naples, 13 January 2025: The new Pure Car & Truck Carrier (PCTC) Grande Manila was delivered to the Grimaldi Group and christened yesterday in Shanghai. Built by SWS (Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Company Limited) and CSTC (China Shipbuilding Trading Company Limited) – both part of China State Shipbuilding Corporation Limited (CSSC) – the vessel is the Italian group’s seventh ammonia-ready unit, meaning she is prepared for the future use of ammonia as an alternative, zero-carbon fuel.

With a length of 200 meters, a beam of 38 meters, and a gross tonnage of approximately 77,500 tons, the Grande Manila has been designed for the efficient transport of vehicles (cars, SUVs, vans, etc.), both electric and powered by traditional fuels, as well as any other type of rolling cargo. The vessel has a loading capacity of 9,241 CEU (Car Equivalent Units), with four decks also capable of carrying other rolling cargo, including heavy loads of up to 250 tons and as high as 6.5 meters.

The Grande Manila pays tribute not only to the capital of the Philippines, but to the entire maritime community of the country for the extraordinary contribution it makes to the global shipping industry. The vessel’s name also reflects the growing importance of the Asian nation within the Group’s commercial network: following the recent launch of a new service connecting China with the port of Batangas with two sailings per month, Grimaldi aims to expand its presence in other Philippine ports as well, such as Manila.

Among those attending the delivery and christening ceremony were Zhang Wei, Vice President of SWS, and Luigi Pacella Grimaldi, Automotive Intercontinental Director of the Grimaldi Group.

The role of godmother of the Grande Manila was entrusted to Doris Ho, President and CEO of Magsaysay Group, a leading Philippine company in maritime recruitment and crew management. For ten years, this group has been a partner of the manning company Grimaldi Marine Partners in a structured joint venture in the Philippines, which today enables the employment of thousands of highly qualified Filipino seafarers on board Grimaldi Group vessels.

“With the arrival of Grande Manila we are celebrating, on the one hand, a new and important milestone in the expansion and modernisation of our fleet, and on the other, our increasingly strong ties with the Philippines, a country with a great seafaring tradition,” said Grimaldi Group Managing Director Emanuele Grimaldi. “Filipino seafarers represent a fundamental resource for our fleet: their professionalism, dedication and reliability are values that contribute every day to the safety and efficiency of our operations. For our part, also through the partnership with the Ho family and Magsaysay Group, we reaffirm our commitment to the growth and well-being of this extraordinary human capital. At the same time, by adding Philippine ports to our network of services, operated regularly by state-of-the-art vessels, we will further contribute to the sustainable growth of the country’s economy.”

The maiden voyage of the Grande Manila will begin this week on the Asia–Europe service. The vessel will depart from Taicang (China) carrying over 5,800 cars and 1,300 linear metres of other rolling cargo (buses, trucks, excavators, wheel loaders), which will be delivered to the United Kingdom, Spain and Belgium and, via transhipment at Grimaldi’s Antwerp hub, to other Northern European and Mediterranean destinations. From Europe, the vessel will sail back to East Asia, with her return to China scheduled for the end of April.

Main technologies on board the Grande Manila

The Grande Manila is equipped with a state-of-the-art electronic engine, which offers one of the lowest specific fuel consumptions in its class and complies with the most stringent international limits for CO₂, NOx, and SOx emissions.

In particular, thanks to her size – which maximizes loading capacity – proven ship design, innovative features, and state-of-the-art systems, the Grande Manila reduces the CO₂ emissions index per transported cargo by up to 50% compared to previous-generation PCTC vessels.

Additionally, the Grande Manila has received the "Ammonia Ready" class notation from RINA (Italian Naval Register), certifying that she can be converted in the future to use ammonia as a zero-carbon alternative fuel. She is also equipped for shore power supply during berthing (cold ironing), which, where available, provides a green alternative to the use of traditional fuels while docked in port.