Construction started on Grimaldi Group’s first of ten Ammonia Ready car carriers

Ro-roOn 14 March, a steel cutting ceremony was held in Haimen at the CMI Shipyard for the Grimaldi Group’s first of ten Ammonia Ready 9,000 CEU capacity car carriers.

Due to be named GRANDE SHANGHAI, this state-of-the-art vessel is part of the Grimaldi Group’s USD 2.5 billion newbuilding programme, resulting in the delivery of twenty-five new ultra-modern vessels in the period 2023-2027.

The concept of the newbuildings was developed by the Grimaldi Group in collaboration with Knud E. Hansen. The 9,000 CEU PCTC's will have the Ammonia Ready class notation from RINA, which certifies that the ships are designed for eventual conversion to use ammonia as marine fuel.

These vessels will be equipped with mega lithium batteries, solar panels and shore connection capability. They will also include an air lubrication system, innovative propulsion and an optimized hull design. Overall, the new ships will be able to cut fuel consumption by 50% compared to the previous generation of car carrier vessels.

The new PCTCs will be deployed on voyages between Europe, North Africa, and the Near and Far East to meet the new transport needs of automotive industry players.