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This modern 9,241 CEU vessel is set to enhance services between Asia and Europe with high capacity and reduced emissions.
Naples, 10 September 2025
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With a length of 200 meters, a beam of 38 meters, and a gross tonnage of around 77,500 tons, the Grande Auckland has been designed for the transport of vehicles - cars, SUVs, vans, both electric and powered by traditional fuels — as well as other types of rolling cargo. The vessel offers a loading capacity of 9,241 CEU (Car Equivalent Unit) and is equipped with four decks suitable for the transport of large rolling units, including heavy loads of up to 250 tons and a maximum height of 6.5 meters.
Image by Grimaldi Group
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In particular, thanks to her optimized dimensions that maximize loading capacity, a proven ship design, cutting-edge technologies and next-generation systems, the Grande Auckland significantly reduces the CO₂ emission index per transported cargo — by up to 50% compared to previous-generation PCTC vessels.
Furthermore, the vessel has been awarded the Ammonia Ready class notation by RINA (Italian Naval Register), certifying that she can be converted in the future to use ammonia as a zero-carbon alternative fuel. She is also designed for cold ironing, meaning she can be powered by shore-side electricity while docked in port - a green alternative to using traditional marine fuels, where such infrastructure is available.
The name of this new ship is a tribute to the city of Auckland, New Zealand, which since 2023 has been regularly served, on a monthly basis, by Grimaldi vessels arriving from Europe.
The Grande Auckland will make her maiden voyage on the Asia-Europe service, where she will remain deployed throughout 2025. The vessel will depart from Shanghai and Lianyungang carrying 4,900 vehicles and 3,300 linear meters of rolling cargo (buses, trucks, excavators, trailers) and will call at Agadir and Tanger Med (Morocco), Vigo (Spain), Antwerp (Belgium), and Southampton (UK). From Northern Europe, she will head back to Asia, with calls in La Réunion (French overseas department in the Indian Ocean), then Yokohama and Toyohashi (Japan), and finally Masan (South Korea).
The Grimaldi Group still has 14 more Ammonia Ready PCTC vessels on order, to be delivered between 2025 and 2027, which will further strengthen maritime connections with the Asian market.
The Grimaldi Group, headquartered in Naples, operates a fleet of 130 vessels and employs approximately 20,000 people. Wholly owned by the Grimaldi family, it is a multinational logistics Group specialized in the operation of roll-on/roll-off vessels, car carriers and ferries. It comprises seven shipping companies, namely: Grimaldi Deep Sea, operating in the transport of rolling cargo and containers on the Atlantic routes and between the Mediterranean and West Africa; Grimaldi Euromed, specialists in the transport of rolling freight in Europe, in the Motorways of the Sea and in passenger transport in the Mediterranean with the Grimaldi Lines brand; Atlantic Container Line, which offers transport services for containers and rolling cargo between North America and Northern Europe; Malta Motorways of the Sea, whose vessels connect Malta to the main ports in the Mediterranean; Minoan Lines, operating in Greek cabotage for the transport of freight and passengers; Finnlines, carrying freight and passengers in the North and Baltic Sea; and Trasmed GLE, active in the transport of freight and passengers between mainland Spain and the Balearic Islands.
These maritime connections are the core of an advanced logistics chain, which includes port terminals and road transport companies. The 20-plus ports and terminals owned/operated by the Grimaldi Group are located in 13 countries: Italy, Spain, Greece, Germany, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Ireland, Belgium, Egypt, Cameroon, Nigeria and Benin. Most of these terminals are fitted with Pre-Delivery Inspection (PDI) facilities, warehouses and workshops.
Grimaldi Group press release
