Grimaldi Group has taken delivery of its new Pure Car & Truck Carrier (PCTC), the Grande Seoul, in Shanghai. The vessel, built by Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding and China Shipbuilding Trading Company, represents the ninth “ammonia-ready” unit in the Italian group’s fleet.
Measuring 200 metres in length with a beam of 38 metres and a gross tonnage of approximately 77,500 tonnes, the vessel has been designed to transport cars, SUVs, vans and other rolling cargo. The Grande Seoul offers a capacity of 9,241 car equivalent units (CEU), while four of its decks are reinforced to handle heavy rolling cargo weighing up to 250 tonnes and up to 6.5 metres high.
Like its sister ships already in operation, the vessel combines large transport capacity with improved environmental performance. According to the company, CO₂ emissions per transported cargo unit are reduced by up to 50% compared with previous-generation PCTC vessels.
The ship is powered by an advanced electronically controlled engine designed to deliver low fuel consumption while meeting strict international limits for CO₂, NOx and SOx emissions. It has also received the “Ammonia Ready” class notation from RINA, meaning it can be converted in the future to operate using ammonia as a zero-carbon fuel. In addition, the vessel is equipped for shore power connection during port calls.
The Grande Seoul will soon depart from Shanghai to begin its maiden voyage on the Asia–Europe service, carrying more than 6,200 cars and around 1,600 linear metres of rolling freight bound for Antwerp, Portbury and Vigo.
