Grimaldi Orders Nine Methanol-Ready Ropaxes for Med and Baltic Routes

Grimaldi methanol roro — Courtesy Grimaldi

Italy’s short-sea transportation company Grimaldi Group is accelerating investments in a younger and more efficient fleet of eco-friendly ro-pax carriers, committing $1.3 billion for nine newbuilds at China Merchants Jinling Shipyard (Weihai).

The company says that the nine pioneering vessels, which are part of its fleet expansion and renewal program, will be equipped with engines capable of running on methanol and will be designed to move rolling cargo and passengers in the Mediterranean and the Baltic Sea.

The newbuilds will be delivered between 2028 and 2030, and will be used by the group’s three brands - Grimaldi Lines, Minoan Lines and Finnlines. Four will be operated under the Grimaldi Lines brand sailing under the Italian flag, while two will be for Minoan Lines, under the Greek flag. These six, belonging to the “Next Generation Med” class, will serve routes in the Mediterranean. The other three, which debuts as the “Hansa Superstar” class, will be delivered to Finnlines to serve routes in the Baltic Sea.

At a length of 229 meters, the Mediterranean ro-pax vessels will have a cargo capacity of 3,300 lane meters for rolling freight and over 300 cars and up to 2,500 passengers. The Baltic Sea newbuilds will be 240 meters long with a cargo capacity of 5,100 lane meters for rolling freight plus 90 cars and up to 1,100 passengers.

Grimaldi has a long relationship with China Merchants, and the new orders extend that partnership with the introduction of fuel-efficient technology. The new vessels will have optimized hull and propeller designs, energy-efficient onboard power management systems, shore power readiness and the application of silicon-based hull coatings. They will reduce CO? emissions per transported cargo unit by more than 50 percent compared to vessels currently operating on the same routes, Grimaldi says.

“The new Next Generation Med and Hansa Superstar classes are the result of a thorough study of our customers’ needs and, more broadly, those of shipping. Today more than ever, the latter requires quality, efficiency and environmental sustainability to remain a key mode of national and international freight and passenger transport,” said Emanuele Grimaldi, Grimaldi Group Managing Director.

He added that the performance in CO? emission reduction and the use of methanol are critical components in the company’s net zero goals. Grimaldi is working to achieve zero emissions by 2050.

The new order comes just weeks after the company took delivery of the last of 14 hybrid ro-ro ships of its "fifth generation" class, built at China Merchants Jinling shipyard in Nanjing. This year and next year, the company also expects to start taking delivery of five new pure car and truck carriers from China Merchants.