6,700 CEU-PCTC “Grande Baltimora” delivered to Grimaldi Group
During a short ceremony held on the 17th of July at the Chinese shipyards of Jinling in Nanjing, the Pure Car & Truck Carrier “Grande Baltimora” was delivered to the Grimaldi Group. First of a series of three sister units ordered by the Neapolitan group to the Jinling shipyards, she has a length of 199,90 metres, a beam of 32,26 metres, a gross tonnage of 63,000 tonnes and a service speed of 19 knots.
The new Italian-flag unit can transport 6.700 CEU (Car Equivalent Unit) or, in alternative, 4.000 linear metres of rolling units and 2.500 CEU. She is fitted with four hoistable decks which make her a very flexible vessel, able to load any type of rolling freight such as trucks, tractors, busses, excavators, etc., up to 5.2 metres high. Moreover, the vessel is fitted with a side ramp and a quarter stern ramp, the latter allowing the loading of freight units with a weight of up to 150 tonnes.
The “Grande Baltimora” is a highly performing ship from an environmental point of view. She is, in fact, fitted with an electronically-controlled (Man Diesel & Turbo) main engine, allowing her to meet the new regulations for the reduction of nitrogen oxide emissions (NOx), and with a hybrid exhaust gas cleaning system for the abatement of sulphur oxide emissions (SOx). Moreover, she is equipped with a ballast water treatment unit which will allow her to meet the future international regulations.
“The Grande Baltimora is another demonstration of the commitment of our Group to strengthen further our services between the Mediterranean and North America with the deployment of even more modern, flexible and environmentally friendly vessels”, declares the Group’s managing director Emanuele Grimaldi. “This new unit is named after the US port where we have been present for the last 50 years with regular services to Europe”, he adds.
The “Grande Baltimora” will sail from the port of Nanjing on the 20th of July with destination New York where she will be deployed on the weekly ro/ro service operated by the Group between the Mediterranean and North America. The ports served by the maritime link are: Gemlik (Turkey), Gioia Tauro, Civitavecchia, Savona, Halifax, New York, Baltimore, Veracruz and Antwerp.
The Grimaldi Group operates a fleet of more than 120 ships and is a world leading operator in the transport of cars and ro/ro cargo. Established in 1947, she is headquartered in Naples and has about 13,000 employees. The Group controls Finnlines, leader in ro/ro transport in the Baltic Sea and Minoan Lines, the Greek ferry operator leader in the route between Piraeus and Crete.