The Grimaldi Group has taken delivery of the Grande Auckland, a Pure Car & Truck Carrier built by Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Company Limited and China Shipbuilding Trading Company Limited, both part of China State Shipbuilding Corporation Limited.
This is the second of seven units ordered by the Group. The vessel is 200 meters long, 38 meters wide, with a gross tonnage of about 77,500 tons. It is designed to transport cars, SUVs, vans, electric vehicles, traditionally powered vehicles, and other rolling cargo. Grande Auckland has a capacity of 9,241 Car Equivalent Units, four decks for large units of up to 250 tons and a height of 6.5 meters.
The ship is powered by a MAN B&W 7S60 ME-C10.6-HPSCR TIER II–TIER III engine, designed to meet environmental standards for CO₂, NOx, and SOx. According to the company, it can cut the CO₂ emission index per transported cargo by up to 50% compared to earlier Pure Car & Truck Carriers.
The vessel has received the Ammonia Ready class notation from RINA, allowing for future conversion to ammonia fuel, and is equipped for shore-side electricity use.
Named after the city of Auckland, New Zealand, the ship will operate on the Asia–Europe route throughout 2025. Its maiden voyage departs from Shanghai and Lianyungang with 4,900 vehicles and 3,300 linear meters of cargo, calling at ports in Morocco, Spain, Belgium, and the United Kingdom before returning to Asia via La Réunion, Japan, and South Korea.
The Grimaldi Group has 14 additional Ammonia Ready Pure Car & Truck Carriers scheduled for delivery between 2025 and 2027.
Grimaldi Group is an Italian multinational logistics and shipping company headquartered in Naples, specializing in the operation of roll-on/roll-off vessels, car carriers, and container services across Europe, Africa, the Americas, and Asia.
Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Company Limited (SWS) is a Chinese shipbuilding enterprise and subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation Limited, engaged in the construction of commercial vessels including tankers, bulk carriers, and specialized ships.