Grimaldi has by now acquired over time a dominant position in the market for the maritime transport of rolling stock and containers.
From 2023 to today, only six ConRo units have entered service, all delivered to the Italian shipping group.
“While numerous other companies have exited the sector over the years, typically opting for pure container ships rather than ConRos, Grimaldi has remained the only operator in the sector to still believe in the concept of combined transport /project cargo on wheels aboard a single ship” states Alphaliner, which however highlights how the ConRo option remains very popular in the military logistics sector.
In 2023, 2024, and the first half of this year, 942 new container ships joined the liner fleet, adding 6.4 million TEU of capacity. In the same period, the six ConRo ships delivered to Grimaldi added another 12,942 TEU to the fleet.
The six multipurpose ro-ro units belong to the G5 class and were commissioned from the Hyundai Mipo Dockyard shipyard in Ulsan (South Korea). Ships in this class can carry up to 4,700 linear meters of rolling cargo, 2,500 car equivalent units (Ceu) and 2,000 TEU.
The last unit of the sextet was delivered in December 2024, it is the Great Cotonou, 250 meters long, 38 meters wide, with a gross tonnage of 45,684 tons.
In January 2025, the Great Cotonou inaugurated a new maritime route, connecting China to Lagos, Nigeria.
