VESSEL REVIEW | Grande Tianjin & Grande Auckland – Grimaldi's newest 9,000CEU car carriers fitted with ammonia-ready propulsion

Italian shipping company the Grimaldi Group recently took delivery of two new pure car and truck carriers (PCTCs) in a series from China State Shipbuilding Corporation subsidiary Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding (SWS).

Grande Tianjin and Grande Auckland are the first two ships in a new series of seven PCTCs built for Grimaldi by SWS.

Flexible layout for accommodating various freight types

The newbuilds each have a length of 200 metres (660 feet), a beam of 38 metres (120 feet), a gross tonnage of approximately 77,500, and a total capacity of 9,241 CEUs.

Four of the vehicle decks on each ship are also capable of carrying other types of rolling cargo, including heavy loads of up to 250 tons and freight as high as 6.5 metres (21 feet).

Capable of low-emission navigation

Power for each PCTC is provided by one MAN B&W 7S60 ME-C10.6-HPSCR electronically controlled engine, which Grimaldi said complies with the most stringent international limits for CO₂, NOx, and SOx emissions.

Grimaldi said that, due to their size – which maximises loading capacity – proven ship design and other key features, the two newbuilds reduce the CO₂ emissions index per transported cargo by up to 50 per cent compared to previous-generation PCTCs.

Grande Tianjin and Grande Auckland have also secured the "ammonia ready" class notation from RINA, which certifies that they can be converted in the future to use ammonia as an alternative fuel.

Both ships are also equipped for shore power charging.