Italian banking group Intesa Sanpaolo has finalised a €162.3 million (US$188.5 million) loan for the acquisition of new pure car and truck carriers (PCTCs) by Grimaldi Euromed, a company under Italian shipping company the Grimaldi Group.
The financing will cover the acquisition of the PCTCs Grande Egitto, Grande Pacifico and Grande Oceania, which are scheduled to be delivered to Grimaldi Euromed later this year.
The ships are among the 17 new PCTCs ordered by the Grimaldi Group between 2022 and 2023, for a total investment of more than US$1.6 billion.
Each ship will have a capacity of 9,800 CEUs, ammonia-ready class notation, and lithium-ion batteries with a total output of five MWh.
A shore power supply system and approximately 2,500 square metres of solar panels will provide each PCTC with additional electrical power, allowing for reduced reliance on onboard generators.
The ships will also each boast an air lubrication system that can reduce drag and a rudder assembly consisting of two foil blades positioned on the sides of the propeller to improve propulsion efficiency and manoeuvrability.