The Italian Grimaldi Group is expanding its fleet: the company has ordered nine new RoPax ferries in China for USD 1.3 billion.
Six of them are to operate for Grimaldi Lines and Minoan Lines in the Mediterranean, while the others will be available for Finnlines in the Baltic Sea. The ships are to be powered by methanol and delivered between 2028 and 2030.
The order is part of Grimaldi’s fleet expansion and renewal program. The ships will be built at the China Merchants Jinling Shipyard. All newbuildings will be equipped with methanol-capable engines and are intended to “combine innovative design and on-board comfort”, according to the shipping company.
Grimaldi newbuilds emit 50% less CO2
Grimaldi is focusing on sustainability with the ships and continues to pursue a “net zero” target. Compared to other ferries operating on the same routes, the new RoPax ferries are expected to emit up to 50% less CO2 per transported freight unit. This will be achieved through optimized hull and propeller designs, efficient on-board power management, shore power supply and the use of silicone-based hull coatings.
Four of the new ships will sail under the Italian flag and will be operated by the Grimaldi Lines brand, while two more will sail under the Greek flag and will be operated by the Greek subsidiary Minoan Lines. These six sister ships belong to the “Next Generation Med” class and will serve routes in the Mediterranean. With a length of 229 m, they have a loading capacity of 3,300 lane meters for rolling cargo and over 300 cars. They can accommodate up to 2,500 passengers and have more than 300 cabins (for a total of over 1,200 guests). They will be the first Mediterranean ferries to be powered by methanol.
“Hansa Superstar” class sails the Baltic Sea
The other three newbuildings will be delivered to Finnlines, sail under the Finnish flag and form the start of the “Hansa Superstar” class – the further development of the “Superstar” series for routes in the Baltic Sea. They are 240 m long and have a loading capacity of 5,100 lane meters for rolling cargo plus 90 cars and 320 cabins for up to 1,100 passengers. The new design is based on Finnlines’ Superstar class ships, “Finnsirius” and “Finncanopus”, but has been adapted for the Finland-Germany route. The new ships are better suited to longer crossings, have new cabin categories and offer a range of restaurants tailored to different passenger preferences. The focus is on comfort and the on-board experience.
“China Merchants Industry Group and Grimaldi Group have always adhered to the concept of ‘innovation, quality first’, achieving breakthrough progress in green ship technology and intelligent shipping, and jointly setting new standards for RoPax ships,” said Wu Sichuan, Chairman of China Merchants Industry, which includes the Weihan shipyard. “As a leading manufacturer of high-quality equipment in China, China Merchants Industry Group and CMI Weihai Shipyard will combine a first-class research and development team, a lean manufacturing system and a comprehensive lifecycle service system to ensure high-quality project execution and help Grimaldi further expand its leading position in the European and global RoPax shipping market.”
“With the order of these nine exceptional RoPax vessels, we continue and strengthen our long-standing successful cooperation with China Merchants Group, an outstanding partner for the construction of state-of-the-art vessels,” said Emanuele Grimaldi, Managing Director of Grimaldi Group. “The new Next Generation Med and Hansa Superstar ship classes are the result of a thorough analysis of the needs of our customers and the wider shipping industry. Today more than ever, shipping requires quality, efficiency and environmental sustainability in order to remain an important mode of transport for national and international freight and passenger traffic. In particular, the outstanding performance in reducing CO₂ emissions and the use of methanol as an alternative fuel bring our Group even closer to the global goal of net zero emissions and consolidate our position as a leading player in short sea shipping in the Mediterranean and Baltic Sea region.”
