The agreement for these new builds,worth $1.5 billion, was signed this morning in Hong Kong. The new ships have been designed to elevate the quality of maritime transport for both rolling cargo and passengers in the Mediterranean and the Baltic Sea.
All nine will be equipped withengines capable of running on methanol, making them ready to achieve the “Net Zero Emission” goal, reported the Grimaldi Group.
Four of the new vesselswill sail under the Italian flag and beoperated under the Grimaldi Lines brand, whiletwo, under the Greek flag, will be deployed by the Greek subsidiary Minoan Lines.
These six sister ships belong to the “Next Generation Med” class and will serveroutes in the Mediterranean.
The other three will be delivered to Finnlines, sail under the Finnish flag and inaugurate the “Hansa Superstar” class, constituting the evolution of the already “Superstar” series, intended forroutes in the Baltic Sea.
All nine shipswill be delivered between 2028 and 2030and will feature green technology innovations. Optimised hull and propeller designs, energy-efficient onboard power management systems (both at sea and in port), shore power readiness and the application of silicon-based hull coatingswill reduce CO₂emissions per transported cargo unit by more than 50 per centcompared to vessels currently operating on the same routes.
With a length of 229 metres, the new Mediterranean RoPax vessels will have a cargo capacity of 3,300 lane metres for rolling freight and over 300 cars. They can accommodate up to 2,500 passengers, offering more than 300 cabins (for a total of over 1,200 guests) and approximately 700 reclining seats.
“As a leader in high-end equipment manufacturing in China, China Merchants Industry Group and CMI Weihai Shipyard will bring together a top R&D team, lean manufacturing system and full life cycle service system to ensure high-quality project delivery and help Grimaldi further consolidate its leading position in the European and global RoRo shipping market,” saidMiao Jianmin, President of China Merchants Group.
“China Merchants Industry is willing to continue to work with the Grimaldi Group to deepen cooperation in cutting-edge fields such as zero-carbon fuel and smart ships and jointly provide more efficient and sustainable shipping solutions for global customers.”
Earlier this year, the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority commissioned the installation of new navigation aids in eastern Burrard Inlet that will enable safer and more efficient ship movements through the busy Second Narrows waterway.
