The Italian shipping group Grimaldi is pushing forward with its fleet expansion and has recently named its newest vessel. With it, the company aims to set new standards, including in German ports.
The official handover and christening of the “Grande Melbourne” took place in the port of Shanghai. It is the third in a series of seven ammonia-ready Pure Car & Truck Carrier (PCTC) ships ordered from Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Company Limited (SWS) and China Shipbuilding Trading Company Limited (CSTC), both subsidiaries of China State Shipbuilding Corporation Limited (CSSC). Initially, five ships worth a total of 630 million dollars were ordered, but an option was later exercised.
With a length of 200 m, a beam of 38 m and a gross tonnage of around 77,500, the “Grande Melbourne” was designed for the transport of vehicles (cars, SUVs, vans, etc.) as well as other types of rolling cargo. It has a loading capacity of 9,241 CEU (Car Equivalent Units) and four decks on which other rolling cargo can also be transported, including heavy loads of up to 250 tons and a height of up to 6.5 m. The Grimaldi Group has ordered another 14 ammonia-capable PCTC vessels to be delivered between 2025 and 2027 to further strengthen its maritime links with the Asian market.
The christening and delivery ceremony of the “Grande Melbourne” was attended by Xu Sha, Deputy General Manager of SWS; Luigi Pacella Grimaldi, Director of Intercontinental Automobile Transportation at Grimaldi Group; representatives from Scania; and Xu Huayan, Director of Shanghai Haitong International Automotive Terminal Co, among others. “As a sign of the close cooperation between the Grimaldi Group and Shanghai Haitong International Automotive Terminal, Xu Huayan acted as godmother of the Grande Melbourne,” the Italians announced.
“Our new generation PCTCs are setting new standards in the worldwide transportation of vehicles on key global routes, especially those connecting Asia with the rest of the world,” explained Emanuele Grimaldi, Managing Director of the Grimaldi Group. “We thank SWS once again for their excellent work in building the ‘Grande Melbourne‘ and her sister ships. We are also deeply grateful to our long-standing customers such as Scania, who continue to appreciate our commitment to ever more efficient transportation services worldwide.”
Maiden voyage to Northern Europe and beyond
As part of its maiden voyage on the Asia–Europe route, the “Grande Melbourne” is scheduled to depart westwards later this month after loading cargo in China – at the ports of Taicang and Xiaomo – and in Thailand at Laem Chabang. It will carry around 5,900 cars and 800 meters of rolling cargo (wheel loaders, excavators, tractors, buses) bound for Northern Europe. After calling at several ports in Northern Europe and the Mediterranean – including Southampton, Antwerp, Wilhelmshaven, Bremerhaven, Setúbal and Tangier Med – the ship will continue its journey to Réunion, India and the Persian Gulf before reaching Taiwan and returning to China.
