Grimaldi Group has taken delivery of the Grande Manila, a 9,241-CEU Pure Car & Truck Carrier constructed at Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Company Limited in cooperation with China Shipbuilding Trading Company Limited, both subsidiaries of China State Shipbuilding Corporation.

The handover and naming ceremony took place in Shanghai on 12 January, adding a seventh ammonia-ready vessel to the Italian operator’s PCTC fleet. The ship has been designed to allow conversion to ammonia propulsion at a later stage, subject to fuel availability and regulatory developments.

Measuring 200 metres in length with a beam of 38 metres and a gross tonnage of about 77,500, the vessel is configured to transport a wide mix of rolling cargo. This includes passenger vehicles, electric vehicles, vans and high-and-heavy units, with four decks rated for loads of up to 250 tonnes and cargo heights of up to 6.5 metres.

Grimaldi said the vessel’s name reflects the growing importance of the Philippines within its commercial and operational network. The group recently introduced a China–Batangas service with twice-monthly sailings and has indicated plans to strengthen its presence at additional Philippine ports, including Manila.

Representatives attending the ceremony included Zhang Wei, vice-president of SWS, and Luigi Pacella Grimaldi, automotive intercontinental director at Grimaldi Group. Doris Ho, president and chief executive of Magsaysay Group, acted as the vessel’s godmother. Magsaysay has partnered with Grimaldi Marine Partners in the Philippines for a decade, supporting the recruitment of Filipino seafarers for the group’s fleet.

Emanuele Grimaldi, Grimaldi Group Managing Director, stated: "With the arrival of Grande Manila we are celebrating, on the one hand, a new and important milestone in the expansion and modernisation of our fleet, and on the other, our increasingly strong ties with the Philippines, a country with a great seafaring tradition. Filipino seafarers represent a fundamental resource for our fleet: their professionalism, dedication, and reliability are values that contribute every day to the safety and efficiency of our operations."

The Grande Manila is scheduled to begin its first voyage this week on the Asia–Europe route, departing from Taicang with more than 5,800 cars and around 1,300 lane metres of additional rolling cargo. Discharge ports include locations in the United Kingdom, Spain and Belgium, with onward distribution to other European destinations via transhipment in Antwerp. The vessel is expected to return to China towards the end of April.

From a technical perspective, the ship is fitted with a low-consumption electronic engine compliant with current international limits for CO₂, NOx and SOx emissions. Grimaldi said the combination of vessel size, hull design and onboard systems enables a reduction of up to 50% in CO₂ emissions per unit of cargo compared with earlier generations of PCTCs.

The vessel has received an 'Ammonia Ready' class notation from RINA and is equipped for shore power connection while alongside, allowing zero-emission operation at berth where infrastructure is available.