Grimaldi Group has taken delivery of Grande Melbourne, the third in a series of seven ammonia-ready pure car and truck carriers (PCTCs) ordered from Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Company Limited (SWS) and China Shipbuilding Trading Company Limited (CSTC), both subsidiaries of China State Shipbuilding Corporation Limited (CSSC).
The vessel was officially named and delivered at a ceremony held in Shanghai on October 22.
With a length of 200 meters, a beam of 38 meters, and a gross tonnage of approximately 77,500 tonnes, the Grande Melbourne has a loading capacity of 9,241 car equivalent units (CEU). The vessel is designed to transport vehicles — including electric and fossil fuel-powered cars, SUVs, and vans — as well as other rolling cargo. Four decks can carry heavy loads of up to 250 tonnes and as high as 6.5 meters.
According to Grimaldi, the vessel is equipped with a “state-of-the-art electronic engine” with one of the lowest specific fuel consumptions in its class. It is also said to reduce the CO₂ emissions index per transported cargo by up to 50% compared to previous-generation PCTC vessels, thanks to its size, ship design, and onboard systems.
The vehicle carrier has received the “Ammonia Ready” class notation from RINA (Italian Naval Register), certifying that it can be converted in the future to use ammonia as an alternative fuel. The notation allows shipowners to prepare vessels for later conversion to ammonia fuel, even though ammonia bunkering infrastructure is not yet widely available at ports.
Grande Melbourne is also equipped for shore power supply during berthing, providing an alternative to the use of traditional fuels while docked in port.
The vessel is scheduled to depart from Asia later this month on its maiden voyage on Grimaldi’s Asia-Europe service, following cargo operations in China at the ports of Taicang and Xiaomo, and in Thailand at Laem Chabang.
After calling at ports in Northern Europe and the Mediterranean, including Southampton, Antwerp, Wilhelmshaven, Bremerhaven, Setubal, and Tanger Med, the vessel will continue towards Reunion, India, and the Persian Gulf, before reaching Taiwan and returning to China.
Participants in the naming and delivery ceremony included Xu Sha, Deputy General Manager of SWS, Luigi Pacella Grimaldi, Automotive Intercontinental Director of the Grimaldi Group, representatives from Scania, and Xu Huayan, Director of Shanghai Haitong International Automotive Terminal Co., Ltd. Xu Huayan acted as the vessel’s godmother.
“Our new-generation PCTCs are setting a new standard in the global transport of vehicles across key global routes, especially those connecting Asia to the rest of the world,” stated Grimaldi Group Managing Director Emanuele Grimaldi. “Once again, we thank SWS for the excellent job made in the construction of the Grande Melbourne and her sister vessels. We are also deeply grateful to our long-standing customers like Scania, who keep appreciating our commitment to delivering increasingly efficient transport services worldwide.”
The vessel is named after the city of Melbourne, Australia, which has been part of Grimaldi’s regular monthly service dedicated to the transport of rolling cargo from Europe to Oceania since 2023.
