Last week in Shanghai, the christening and delivery ceremony of the ‘Grande Istanbul’ was held. This is the fourth of seven ammonia-ready Pure Car & Truck Carriers (PCTCs) ordered from the SWS (Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Company Limited) and CSTC (China Shipbuilding Trading Company Limited) shipyards—both part of China State Shipbuilding Corporation Limited (CSSC).
With a length of 200 metres, a beam of 38 metres, and a gross tonnage of approximately 77,500 tons, the ‘Grande Istanbul’ has been designed for the efficient transport of vehicles (cars, SUVs, vans, etc.), both electric and powered by traditional fuels, as well as any other type of rolling cargo. The vessel has a loading capacity of 9,241 CEU (Car Equivalent Units), with four decks also capable of carrying other rolling cargo, including heavy loads of up to 250 tons and as high as 6.5 metres.
Attending the christening and delivery ceremony were, among others, Zhang Wei, Vice President of SWS; Luigi Pacella Grimaldi, Automotive Intercontinental Director of the Grimaldi Group; and representatives of SANY, a Chinese producer of heavy machinery and equipment for construction, mining, infrastructure and other industries, which relies on the Grimaldi Group’s transport services from China to various ports in Africa, the Mediterranean, Northern Europe and the Persian Gulf. As evidence of an increasingly solid and significant partnership, Chunyan Yuan, Vice President of SANY Group, attended the event as the godmother of the ‘Grande Istanbul’.
The new vessel is already ready for her maiden voyage on the Grimaldi Group’s regular East Asia–Persian Gulf service. In the coming days, from the Chinese ports of Taicang and Ningbo, over 2,000 cars, around 1,000 vans and 4,800 linear metres of other rolling cargo (including cranes, trailers, trucks, excavators and breakbulk cargo) will be shipped to Jebel Ali, in the United Arab Emirates.
“We are proud that our investments in new vessels are translating into enhanced services and value for customers like SANY, with whom we continue to grow, driven by efficiency and sustainability,” said Emanuele Grimaldi, Managing Director of the Grimaldi Group. “With large, modern, and environmentally friendly units like the ‘Grande Istanbul’, we are making a concrete contribution to the development of key trades such as those to and from Asia, responding to the growing demand for reliable and high-quality connections.” 
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