At the beginning of October, during the Euromed convention, he announced the order. And now the Grimaldi group has signed the contract for the construction of five new PCTC ships (Pure car truck carriers) with the China Merchants Heavy Industries Jiangsu shipyard, a company part of China Merchant Industry Holdings. The agreement provides the option for an additional five units, for a total investment of approximately one billion euros.
With a load capacity of over 9 thousand ceu (car equivalent unit), the new buildings were designed for the transport of electric vehicles. The ships also received the class notation Ammonia ready by Rina, which certifies that they have been designed and will be built to be converted, at a later stage, to the use of ammonia as a marine fuel.
Zero emissions target in port
These ships, like others of the group, will also be equipped with mega lithium batteries, as well as solar panels and ground connection (to have, at the mooring on the quay, electricity from the ground), which will allow them to reach the goal Zero emission in port . The other main technological innovations installed on board are the air lubrication system, an innovative propulsion and an optimized hull design, which aim to reduce the environmental impact.
«Our group – affirms the CEO Emanuele Grimaldi – was a real pioneer of environmental sustainability, with initiatives aimed at reducing the CO2 emissions of its activities year after year. The ships with potential dual fuel will be much more efficient than those designed in the past: they will consume 50% less fuel than the previous generation of car carrier ships ».
The challenge of ammonia
We are witnessing, he continues, “an evolution that will lead the sector towards the goal of zero emissions. The newly signed order for a new type of ship ready to use ammonia is a challenge, especially as alternative fuels for industry decarbonisation are not available at the moment. The realization requires an enormous commitment of all the parties involved but, later on, this commitment will translate into progress ».