Italy’s Grimaldi Group has taken delivery of Grande Auckland, the second of seven PCTC vessels commissioned by the group from Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding (SWS) and China Shipbuilding Trading Company (CSTC).
Grande Auckland measures 200 m x 38 m and has a gross tonnage of around 77,500 tonnes. Offering a loading capacity of 9,241 ceu, the vessel has been designed for the transport of vehicles as well as other types of rolling cargo. It is equipped with four decks suitable for the shipment of large rolling units, including heavy loads up to 250 tonnes and a maximum height of 6.5 m.
This latest addition follows the delivery of Grande Tianjin, the first of seven PCTC vessels, last month.
According to Grimaldi, Grande Auckland reduces the CO2 emissions index per transported cargo by up to 50 percent compared to previous-generated PCTC vessels. Like Grande Tianjin, Grande Auckland has been awarded the ammonia ready class notation by RINA (Italian Naval Register), confirming that the vessel can be converted in the future to use ammonia as a zero-carbon alternative fuel. The ship can also be powered by shore-side electricity while docked in port thanks to its design for cold ironing.
Grande Auckland will make its maiden voyage on the Asia-Europe service, where it will remain deployed throughout 2025. The vessel will depart from Shanghai and Lianyungang transporting 4,900 vehicles and 3,000 linear m of rolling cargo, calling at Agadir and Tanger Med in Morocco, Spain’s Vigo, Antwerp, and Southampton, in the UK. On its return trip, the vessel will call at the French overseas department La Réunion, then Yokohama and Toyohashi in Japan, with a final call at Masan, South Korea.
In July 2025, Grimaldi held a naming ceremony for Grande Shanghai, another of its next-generation PCTC vessels.
