The vessels will be built at China's Jinling shipyard, with an option for another unit.
In the framework of the programme of expansion and renewal of its fleet, the Grimaldi Group has recently signed an additional agreement for the construction of three new PCTCs (Pure Car Truck Carriers), with the shipyard Jinling of China, for a total investment of USD 165 million.
The agreement foresees an option for another unit. With delivery expected in 2017, the three new units will be deployed on the Group’s regular service linking the Mediterranean with North America; this service is mainly dedicated to the transport of brand new vehicles produced by FCA (Fiat Chrysler Automobiles) with destination the US and Canadian markets. The new vessels will be equipped with eight decks, four of which hoistable, making them capable to transport 6,700 cars.
"With this new order we will enhance the car carrier fleet of the Group, in order to satisfy the new market requirements”, proudly commented the President of the Grimaldi Group, Gianluca Grimaldi, together with the Managing Directors Emanuele Grimaldi and Diego Pacella. "Moreover, the cooperation with the Jinling shipyard, which has recently built six ultra modern ice-class ro/ro vessels for our Group, will be further strengthened," concludes the Board of the Neapolitan Group.
Thanks to this last order, the Grimaldi Group completes the enhancing programme of its car carrier fleet, thus providing the construction of eight new units with the option of further eight. In addition to this kind of vessels, the current order list of the Group includes also the delivery, by the end of the year, of two con/ro vessels, last of a series of six units built at Korean shipyards, all to be deployed on the Group’s services linking Europe to West Africa. Moreover, five con/ro vessels will be delivered by 2016 to the subsidiary company Atlantic Container Line. With a loading capacity of 3,800 TEU, 28,900 m2 of rolling freight and 1,307 cars, they will be the largest vessels of their type ever built in the world, as well as faster, cleaner and more efficient than the ones currently in service to ACL.
