VESSEL REVIEW | Grande Pacifico & Grande Egitto – Grimaldi adds 9,800CEU ammonia-ready car carriers to fleet
Italian shipping group Grimaldi has taken delivery of two new pure car and truck carriers (PCTCs) that are now the largest vehicle carriers in its fleet.
Grande Pacifico was handed over by China Merchants Heavy Industries Jiangsu on August 10, 2026, followed by sister ship Grande Egitto on September 21.
They are the first two of five vessels with a capacity of 9,800 CEUs ordered from the Chinese yard, and the 13th and 14th ships in the Grimaldi fleet to carry RINA’s Ammonia Ready class notation, signifying possible operation on ammonia fuel at a later time.
The pair are a development of the five 9,000CEU PCTCs previously built for Grimaldi by the same shipyard, a series that includes Grande Shanghai and Grande Svezia. Each of the newer PCTCs is 220 metres (720 feet) long, has a 38-metre (120-foot) beam, a gross tonnage of approximately 95,534 and a service speed of 18 knots.
The newer ships also each have 15 vehicle decks, one more compared to their predecessors, thus allowing for the carriage of an additional 800 CEUs, or an increase in capacity by approximately nine per cent, according to Grimaldi.
Along with conventionally fuelled and electric vehicles, the ships are designed to carry vehicles powered by compressed natural gas. Grimaldi also deploys these with high-and-heavy and other rolling freight, as shown by the cargo loaded for their maiden voyages.
The owner said the technology on board enables each ship to use 50 per cent less fuel than car carriers of the previous generation.
The energy-saving package includes lithium-ion batteries with a combined capacity of 5.0 MWh and solar panels covering 2,500 square metres (27,000 square feet). Both ships also have shore power connections for cold ironing in ports with suitable facilities, and Grimaldi said they can achieve “zero emissions” while berthed.
Fitted with efficiency-enhancing systems
Surface resistance is reduced with the aid of an optimised hull form, silicone coatings and an air lubrication system, which introduces air beneath the hull to lower frictional drag. Intelligent energy management systems are also fitted.
Each ship also has a gate rudder, which uses two foil blades flanking the propeller in place of a conventional single rudder. Grimaldi said the arrangement improves both propulsion efficiency and manoeuvrability, and the company has described its installation on the series as the first use of this technology on its PCTCs.
An electronically controlled main engine supplies propulsion, and its exhaust gas treatment systems are designed to reduce levels of NOx, SOx, and particulate matter emissions. Grimaldi said the ships’ NOx emissions are well below IMO Tier III limits.
Both vessels also hold the RINA notations Green Plus, Green Star 3, Comfort Vibration and Comfort Noise Port.
Now supporting automotive trade between Asia, Europe and Africa
The two 9,800CEU newbuildings and the earlier 9,000CEU series together make up a ten-ship programme for Grimaldi at China Merchants Heavy Industries Jiangsu. The vessels are part of a wider order for 17 PCTCs placed by Grimaldi between 2022 and 2023, representing a total investment of more than US$1.6 billion.
Grimaldi said the name Grande Pacifico reflects its expanding presence in the Pacific region, where it has grown its regular services for the automotive industry and rolling cargo. Grande Egitto's name meanwhile points out the company’s long-standing links with Egypt, which include regular calls by its ships at Alexandria on its Europe-Mediterranean network.
Grande Pacifico has been assigned to Grimaldi's Asia–Europe service. On her maiden voyage, she departed Taicang in China for Antwerp and Southampton with more than 6,900 vehicles alongside rolling cargo spanning over 900 linear metres (3,000 linear feet).
Grande Egitto was due to begin her maiden voyage on the Asia–East Africa service in the week after delivery. Her cargo was to comprise 4,150 cars and 6,200 linear metres (20,000 linear feet) of rolling freight, including excavators, buses and trucks, loaded at Taicang, Yokohama and Nagoya for Dar es Salaam in Tanzania and Mombasa in Kenya.
