Italian shipping company the Grimaldi Group took delivery of a new Ro-Ro vessel on Friday, March 14.
Eco Napoli is the final one in a series of 14 vessels built for Grimaldi by China Merchants Jinling Shipyard (Nanjing).
The Italian-flagged Eco Napoli has a length of 238 metres, a beam of 34 metres, a gross tonnage of 67,311, and a service speed of 20.8 knots. Compared to the units of the previous series of Ro-Ro vessels deployed by the Grimaldi Group for short sea routes, the new ship can accommodate double the load on her seven decks (two of which are hoistable).
The vessel can carry 7,800 linear metres of rolling freight, equivalent to around 500 trailers and 180 cars.
Grimaldi said the increase in capacity does not affect fuel consumption, thanks to the adoption of numerous technological solutions that optimise the ship's fuel consumption and performance.
At the same speed, Eco Napoli consumes the same amount of fuel compared to the previous generation of Ro-Ro ships and is therefore able to halve CO2 emissions per unit transported.
The vessel is also equipped with state-of-the-art, electronically controlled engines and with an exhaust gas cleaning system for the reduction of sulphur and particulate emissions.
During port stays, the vessel is capable of cutting emissions to zero by using the electricity stored in large lithium batteries with a total power of five MWh. The batteries are recharged during navigation thanks to shaft generators and 350 square metres of solar panels.
Eco Napoli is expected to arrive in the Mediterranean in early May, carrying approximately 7,800 linear metres of rolling cargo that includes vehicles and agricultural machines.
The vessel will then be used on Grimaldi's Ro-Ro connection between Gemlik, Ambarli, Patras, and Trieste.