Grimaldi Group takes delivery of the net generation vessel

The Grimaldi Group has taken delivery of the Grande Shanghai, the first of ten new-generation Pure Car & Truck Carriers ordered from China Merchants Heavy Industries Jiangsu.

Of the ten units, the first five will have a capacity of 9,000 Car Equivalent Units, while the following five will accommodate up to 9,800 CEU.

The Grande Shanghai follows the Grande Tianjin, delivered earlier in August, and is the second Ammonia Ready vessel in the Grimaldi fleet.

Combining high cargo capacity with cutting-edge environmental technologies, the ship achieves 50% lower fuel consumption than earlier generations of car carriers.

Developed in collaboration with naval architects Knud E. Hansen, the vessel measures 220 meters in length and 38 meters in width, with a gross tonnage of 91,611 tons and a service speed of 18 knots.

Spread across 14 decks, the carrier can transport both conventional and electric vehicles.

The vessel has earned RINA’s Ammonia Ready certification, confirming its ability to convert to ammonia fuel in the future, alongside multiple other notations including Green Plus, Green Star 3, Comfort Vibration, and Comfort Noise Port.

The Grande Shanghai incorporates a broad range of sustainable technologies and it is equipped with mega lithium batteries totaling 5 MWh and can connect to shore power, enabling zero-emission operations while in port.

The ship also features 2,500 square meters of solar panels, silicon-based hull coatings to reduce drag, smart ventilation and air-conditioning systems, and an electronically controlled engine with exhaust gas cleaning and selective catalytic reduction, ensuring compliance with IMO Tier III emission standards.

Additional innovations include an Air Lubrication System, optimized hull form, and the first-ever installation of an innovative gate rudder on a PCTC, a twin-foil rudder design that improves both propulsion efficiency and manoeuvrability.

Emanuele Grimaldi, Managing Director of the Group, emphasized the strategic importance of the investment saying that with ships like the Grande Shanghai, they reaffirm their commitment to ecological transition while continuing to support the global automotive industry with sustainable, efficient, and high-quality transport solutions.

The Grande Shanghai will enter service on the East Asia–East Africa route, launched by Grimaldi in June 2025, carrying 7,000 linear meters of rolling cargo including trucks, buses, trailers, and agricultural machinery.

Departing from Taicang, China, in early September, the ship will call at Mombasa (Kenya) and Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) before continuing service.

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