The “Grande Shanghai” has been christened at China Merchants Heavy Industries in Haimen/Jiangsu – the first of ten “next generation” PCTC ships. Grimaldi ordered them at the beginning of 2023.
These are car carriers with large dimensions and capacities: The first five ships will be able to transport 9,000 CEU (Car Equivalent Units), while the remaining five ships will have an increased capacity of 9,800 CEU.
The naming ceremony was attended by high-ranking guests, including Sichuan Wu, Chairman of China Merchants Industry, and Luigi Pacella Grimaldi, Automotive Intercontinental Director of the Italian shipping group.
The event was also attended by the Italian Consul General in Shanghai, Tiziana D’Angelo, who acted as godmother for the ship, which was symbolically named after China’s economic capital.
The shipping group, which also includes the subsidiaries Finnlines, Euromed, Atlantic Container Line (ACL) and Minoan Lines and whose total fleet comprises more than 130 ships, has been working on a rather lavish order book for years. Most recently, nine ships were ordered for various subsidiaries, including for traffic via German ports.
The “Grande Shanghai” is intended to combine high freight capacity with environmental compatibility. According to the shipping company, it reduces fuel consumption by 50% per transported freight unit compared to the previous generation of car carriers.
The design of the ship is the result of close cooperation between the Grimaldi Group and the shipbuilding company Knud E. Hansen from Denmark. It is 220 m long and 38 m wide, has a dimension of 93,145 and a cruising speed of 18 knots. Its 14 decks can accommodate both electric vehicles and vehicles powered by conventional fuels.
The Grande Shanghai is also the first ship in the Grimaldi fleet to be awarded the “Ammonia Ready” notation by the Italian classification organization Rina. This certifies that the ship can be converted to use ammonia as an alternative, carbon-free fuel. In addition, “mega lithium batteries” with a total capacity of 5 MWh were installed, as well as 2,500m2 of solar panels.
Other components include an air lubrication system under the hull, an optimized hull design and a gate rudder installed for the first time on a PCTC vessel. This rudder, with two blades arranged on either side of the propeller, is designed to improve propulsion efficiency and maneuverability.
