With the arrival of the Grande Egitto, delivered today by China Merchants Heavy Industries Jiangsu, the Grimaldi Group's fleet of latest-generation PCTC (Pure Car & Truck Carrier) vessels expands further. For the Italian shipping group, this is the fourteenth Ammonia Ready unit; together with her sister ship Grande Pacifico, which entered service last month, the new vessel holds the record for the largest PCTC in the Grimaldi fleet.
With a length of 220 metres and a beam of 38 metres, the Grande Egitto has a gross tonnage of 95,534 tonnes and a service speed of 18 knots. Thanks to the configuration of her 15 decks, her cargo capacity reaches 9,800 CEU. In addition to electric vehicles and conventionally fuelled vehicles, the ship is also designed to transport compressed natural gas (CNG)-powered vehicles.
The Grande Egitto has been awarded the Ammonia Ready class notation by the Italian Shipping Register (RINA), certifying that she can be converted to operate on ammonia as a zero-carbon alternative fuel. Built to the highest standards, the vessel has also received several additional class notations, including Green Plus, Green Star 3, Comfort Vibration and Comfort Noise Port.
Thanks to the numerous environmentally friendly technologies installed on board, the Grande Egitto is capable of reducing fuel consumption by 50% compared with previous-generation car carriers.
Equipped with mega lithium batteries with a total capacity of 5 MWh and designed for shore power supply (cold ironing) at suitably equipped ports, the vessel can achieve zero emissions while berthed.
She also incorporates the most advanced energy-efficiency solutions, including 2,500 square metres of solar panels, intelligent energy management systems, silicone hull coatings to reduce drag, an air lubrication system, an optimised hull design and the innovative gate rudder, which enhances both propulsion efficiency and manoeuvrability.
In addition, her electronically controlled main engine is fitted with exhaust gas treatment systems that significantly reduce emissions of sulphur oxides (SOx), particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen oxides (NOx), with the latter well below IMO Tier III limits.
The name chosen for the new car carrier evokes the strategic centrality of Egypt in the global and regional maritime connections of the Grimaldi Group. The Italian company is indeed tied to the country by a deep-rooted multi-decade presence, guaranteed by regular calls at the port of Alexandria within the Euro-Med network.
The maiden voyage of the Grande Egitto will begin next week on the Asia–East Africa service, connecting Far Eastern markets with the main commercial hubs of East Africa. The ship will load a total of 4,150 cars and 6,200 linear meters of rolling freight (excavators, buses, trucks) in the Asian ports of Taicang (China), Yokohama and Nagoya (Japan), bound for Dar Es Salaam (Tanzania) and Mombasa (Kenya).
"With the entry into service of the Grande Egitto, we are giving a new, important boost to the expansion and modernization path of our vehicle transport fleet, " stated Emanuele Grimaldi, Managing Director of the Grimaldi Group. "This new 9,800 CEU unit represents the perfect synthesis of commercial efficiency and environmental respect. By choosing to deploy it on the Asia–East Africa route, we want to provide a concrete response to the demands of an increasingly dynamic market, offering our customers regular, flexible maritime connections characterized by the lowest possible environmental impact."
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