Grimaldi Group Launches First Ammonia-Ready Car Carrier ‘Grande Shanghai’

The Grimaldi Group, a leading operator of ro-ro vessels, has launched its first ammonia-ready Pure Car & Truck Carrier (PCTC), Grande Shanghai, during a naming ceremony held on July 21 in Haimen, Jiangsu Province, China.

This is the first of ten new-generation car carriers being built as part of a larger order of 17 vessels placed by the company with China Merchants Heavy Industries.

Out of these 10 ships, the first five will have a capacity of 9,000 Car Equivalent Units (CEU), and the next five will have a slightly larger capacity of 9,800 CEU.

The naming ceremony was attended by key figures, including the Chairman of China Merchants Industry, Sichuan Wu, and Automotive Intercontinental Director of the Grimaldi Group, Luigi Pacella Grimaldi.

The Consul General of Italy in Shanghai, Tiziana D’Angelo, was also present and served as the vessel’s godmother. The ship has been named Grande Shanghai after China’s financial hub.

The vessel has been built to offer both high cargo capacity and lower environmental impact. According to the company, it uses 50% less fuel per cargo unit compared to older car carriers in its fleet.

The ship was designed in collaboration with the naval architecture firm Knud E. Hansen. It is 220 meters long, 38 meters wide, and can cruise at a speed of 18 knots. The vessel features 14 decks and is designed to carry both electric and traditional fuel-powered vehicles.

Grande Shanghai is also the first vessel in the Grimaldi fleet to be certified as “Ammonia Ready” by the Italian Shipping Registry (RINA). This means that the ship can be converted in the future to run on ammonia, a zero-carbon alternative fuel.

The vessel meets the highest environmental standards and has received several classifications, including Green Plus, Green Star 3, Comfort Noise Port and Comfort Vibration.

It is equipped with multiple green technologies, including 5 megawatt-hours of lithium batteries, 2,500 square meters of solar panels, and a cold ironing system that enables the ship to utilise shore power when available at port.

For better energy performance, the ship includes a silicon-based hull coating to reduce friction, smart controls for ventilation and air conditioning, and an electronically controlled engine.

The engine also features an exhaust gas cleaning system to reduce sulphur oxides (SOx) and particulate matter (PM) emissions, and a selective catalytic reduction system that lowers nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions to below TIER III limits.

Additional eco-friendly features include an Air Lubrication System, an optimised hull design, and a gate rudder. This type of rudder, installed on a PCTC for the first time, has two foil blades placed on either side of the propeller. It improves fuel efficiency and enables the ship to manoeuvre more effectively.

Reference: Grimaldi

Source: Maritime Shipping News