The last of the seven PCTC (Pure Car & Truck Carrier) vessels ordered from the Chinese Yangfan shipyard in Zhoushan was delivered to the Grimaldi Group today. Her name is Grande California, and like her six sister units already in service, she is among the largest and most eco-friendly car carriers in the world.

With a length of 199.9 metres and a beam of 36.45 metres, the Grande California has a gross tonnage of 65,255 tonnes and a service speed of 19 knots. The Italian-flagged ship can transport around 7,600 CEU (Car Equivalent Units) or, alternatively, 5,400 linear metres of rolling stock and 2,737 CEU.

With her four hoistable decks, the Grande California is an extremely flexible vessel: besides cars, she is able to transport any type of rolling freight (cars, vans, trucks, tractors, buses, excavators, etc.) up to 5.3 metres high. The side ramp and quarter stern ramp allow the loading of freight units weighing up to 150 tonnes, while the configuration of her 12 decks and the system of internal ramps minimize the risk of damage to the cargo during loading and unloading operations.

Also with respect to environmental sustainability, the Grande California is a state-of-the-art ship: in fact, she is equipped with devices that allow her to reduce harmful emissions and achieve high energy efficiency. These include an electronically-controlled Man Energy Solutions main engine, as required by the new regulations for the reduction of nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions, as well as an exhaust gas cleaning system for cutting sulphur oxide (SOx) and particulate emissions. In addition, she complies with the latest ballast water treatment regulations.

“Expanding our fleet with large, modern and environmentally friendly ships such as the Grande California means being able to offer increasingly better transport services not only for our customers but also for the environment”, stated Emanuele Grimaldi, Managing Director of the Neapolitan shipping company. “Another 15 new, highly innovative ships will be delivered to our group in the coming years, and we continue to invest in research and development to constantly increase the quality of our offer while reducing the environmental impact of our operations. We will go ahead in this direction, convinced that this is the right choice”.

Once she arrives from China, the Grande California will be deployed to further boost the weekly ro-ro connection operated by the Grimaldi Group between the Mediterranean and North America, regularly serving 15 ports in Italy (Civitavecchia, Gioia Tauro, Livorno, Salerno, Savona), Spain (Valencia), Belgium (Antwerp), Canada (Halifax), United States (Baltimore, Davisville, Houston, Jacksonville, New York), and Mexico (Altamira, Veracruz).