Grimaldi Shipping Group, based in Naples, is looking to expand its car carrier fleet by signing agreements with China. The group has recently ordered 10 new car carrier ships from two shipbuilding yards in China. These ships will include five vessels with a capacity of 10,000 vehicle units and five others with a capacity of 11,000 vehicle units.
Details of the New Project
The new ships designed for Grimaldi, in addition to carrying vehicles, will have additional capacity for transporting containers and other cargo. These features enhance the capabilities of these ships beyond just transporting regular vehicles. According to Grimaldi's managers, these projects will soon move from the initial design phase to the engineering phase, and this process is expected to take about six months. Delivery of the ships is scheduled for the years 2030 and 2031.
Report on Previous Orders
These new agreements are part of Grimaldi's extensive expansion plans for car carrier ships in China. In 2022 and 2023, the group successfully gathered an order for 17 ammonia-compatible car carrier ships, which includes 10 ships in China and 7 ships at CSSC-affiliated yards. This year, Grimaldi has added larger ships to its fleet, the latest of which includes the Grande Pacifico and Grande Egitto, which were commissioned in August and September.
The new 11,000-unit ships represent another step in increasing the size of Grimaldi's vessels and enhancing their flexibility for transporting a combination of vehicles, containers, and other roll-on/roll-off cargo. At the same time, the group is in advanced negotiations with HD Hyundai from South Korea and China Merchants and GSI from China for a new series of G6-class conro ships, although no official contract has been announced yet.
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