Italian shipping company the Grimaldi Group took delivery of a new pure car and truck carrier (PCTC) on Thursday, February 12.
Grande Michigan is the third vessel in a series of five PCTCs that are each capable of transporting 9,000 CEUs. The ship was built China Merchants Heavy Industry Jiangsu while her earlier sisters Grande Shanghai and Grande Svezia were built by China Merchants Heavy Industry Haimen.
Design work on the entire five-ship series was undertaken by naval architecture firm Knud E Hansen of Denmark.The PCTC has a length of 220 metres, a beam of 38 metres, a gross tonnage of over 93,000, a cruising speed of 18 knots, and 14 vehicle decks. Grimaldi said the vehicle decks are capable of accommodating both electric vehicles and those fitted with internal combustion engines.
The PCTC has also obtained the "ammonia ready" class notation from classification society RINA. This certifies that she may be converted for the use of ammonia as an alternative fuel in the future.
The vessel also has a 5MWh lithium battery pack, 2,500 square metres of solar panels, and a shore power connection to reduce reliance on the main engine and the generators when supplying electricity for the various onboard systems.
Silicon-based hull coatings meanwhile help minimise drag, thus further reducing fuel consumption.
Grande Michigan will depart on her maiden voyage from Taicang, China. She will transport over 7,000 vehicles plus project cargo destined for the Mediterranean.
