For the Italian shipping group, this is the fourteenth Ammonia Ready unit; together with its sister ship GRANDE PACIFICO, which entered service last month, the new vessel holds the record for the largest PCTC in the Grimaldi fleet.

With a length of 220 metres and a beam of 38 metres, the GRANDE EGITTO has a gross tonnage of 95,534 tonnes and a service speed of 18 knots. Thanks to the configuration of her 15 decks, its cargo capacity reaches 9,800 CEU. In addition to electric vehicles and conventionally fuelled vehicles, the ship is also designed to transport compressed natural gas (CNG)-powered vehicles.

The GRANDE EGITTO has been awarded the Ammonia Ready class notation by the Italian Shipping Register (RINA), certifying that it can be converted to operate on ammonia as a zero-carbon alternative fuel. Built to the highest standards, the vessel has also received several additional class notations, including Green Plus, Green Star 3, Comfort Vibration and Comfort Noise Port.

Thanks to the numerous environmentally friendly technologies installed on board, the GRANDE EGITTO can reduce fuel consumption by 50% compared with previous-generation car carriers.

Equipped with a battery pack with a total capacity of 5 MWh and designed for shore power supply (cold ironing) at suitably equipped ports, the vessel can achieve zero emissions while berthed. The newbuilding also incorporates advanced energy-efficiency solutions, including 2,500 square metres of solar panels, intelligent energy management systems, silicone hull coatings to reduce drag, an air lubrication system, an optimised hull design and the innovative gate rudder, which enhances both propulsion efficiency and manoeuvrability.

The name chosen for the new car carrier evokes the strategic centrality of Egypt in the global and regional maritime connections of the Grimaldi Group. The Italian company is indeed tied to the country by a deep-rooted multi-decade presence, guaranteed by regular calls at the port of Alexandria within the Euro-Med network.

The maiden voyage of the GRANDE EGITTO will begin next week on the Asia–East Africa service, connecting Far Eastern markets with the main commercial hubs of East Africa. The ship will load a total of 4,150 cars and 6,200 linear meters of rolling freight (excavators, buses, trucks) in the Asian ports of Taicang (China), Yokohama and Nagoya (Japan), bound for Dar Es Salaam (Tanzania) and Mombasa (Kenya).

Read also: Grimaldi takes delivery of the GRANDE PACIFICO 

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