Grimaldi Takes Delivery of 13th Ammonia-Ready PCTC

The 9,800 CEU vessel, Grande Pacifico, is the largest PCTC in the company’s fleet, Grimaldi said in a LinkedIn post today.

It is the first of the five ships Grimaldi has ordered from China Merchants Heavy Industries Jiangsu.

Its ‘ammonia-ready’ notation means the vessel has been designed to allow future conversion to run on ammonia propulsion.

Several ships have been ordered and delivered with ammonia-ready or methanol-ready classifications as shipowners hedge against future fuel transitions. However, actual conversions to run on these fuels remain limited across the global fleet.

“Equipped with cutting-edge technologies including mega lithium batteries, solar panels and shore power capability, the Grande Pacifico can decrease fuel consumption by 50% compared with previous-generation car carriers,” Grimaldi said.

The Grande Pacifico will make its maiden voyage from Taicang, China, to Antwerp, Belgium, and Southampton, UK, on Grimaldi's Asia-Europe service.