On November 28, the “GRANDE ISTANBUL” (H1606), a 9000-car capacity Pure Car and Truck Carrier (PCTC) built by Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding for Italy’s GRIMALDI Group, was officially signed, named, and delivered.
Responsible persons and representatives from relevant units including the Italian GRIMALDI Group, Sany Group, RINA (Registro Italiano Navale), China Shipbuilding Trading Co., Ltd., and Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. jointly attended the ceremony. The naming person, Yuan Chunyan, Vice President of Sany Group, read the naming speech and unveiled the new ship.
Mr. Luigi Pacher Paciotti Grimaldi, a member of the GRIMALDI Group family and Director of Intercontinental Car Carriers Business, expressed his sincere gratitude to all employees of Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding and highly praised its professional capabilities in ship design, construction technology, and project management. He stated that the “GRANDE ISTANBUL”, as the fourth 9000-car PCTC resulting from the cooperation between the two parties, continues the GRIMALDI Group’s pursuit of efficient, environmentally friendly, and reliable shipping, and also reflects the solid partnership built on mutual trust and collaboration. He looks forward to jointly exploring broader markets and achieving the win-win goals of safety, profitability, and sustainable development with the innovative support of Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding in the future.
In his speech, Zhang Wei, Deputy General Manager of Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding, stated that the GRIMALDI Group is a long-term partner highly valued by Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding, and the two sides have continuously deepened collaboration and improved efficiency during the construction of the series of ships. Building upon the technical advantages of the first three ships in the series, this vessel achieved a further reduction in both the dock period and the total construction cycle through optimized construction processes. The number of owner comments also decreased significantly compared to the previous ship, demonstrating Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding’s systematic improvement in organizational management, quality control, and resource coordination. He emphasized that this delivery marks the starting point of a new phase of cooperation. Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding will continue to adhere to innovation-driven development and a quality-first approach, providing the GRIMALDI Group with more high-quality and highly reliable ship products, jointly promoting in-depth cooperation in fields such as medium and large PCTCs, and working together to achieve mutual benefit, win-win outcomes, and long-term development.
It is understood that this series of ships was designed by the Shanghai Merchant Ship Design and Research Institute (SDARI). With a total length of 200 meters and a width of 38 meters, it has a standard loading capacity of 9000 cars and is compatible with electric vehicles, traditional fuel vehicles, and heavy ro-ro cargo (up to 250 tons). The ship adopts a new main engine with low fuel consumption and is integrated with energy-saving devices such as a twisted rudder and propeller cap fins, significantly reducing energy consumption. It is equipped with a medium-voltage shore power system to achieve zero carbon emissions during berthing and has received the “Ammonia Ready” certification from RINA, reserving technical space for future conversion to zero-carbon fuels. The accompanying medium-voltage shore power system can achieve zero carbon emissions during cargo loading and unloading at the dock.
