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Apr 18 2025

Grimaldi Group: order signed for nine pioneering ro-pax ships

Naples - As part of its fleet expansion and renewal program, the Grimaldi Group has commissioned the construction of nine ro-pax vessels from China Merchants Jinling Shipyard (Weihai), a China Merchants Group company. The agreement for these cutting-edge new builds, worth a total of $1.5 billion, was signed this morning in Hong Kong.

 

The new ships have been designed to elevate the quality of maritime transport for both rolling cargo and passengers in the Mediterranean and the Baltic Sea. All nine will be equipped with engines capable of running on methanol, making them ready to achieve the "Net Zero Emission" goal. Indeed, they will combine transport capacity, innovative design and onboard comfort, all perfectly aligned with environmental sustainability.

 

Four of the new vessels will sail under the Italian flag and be operated under the Grimaldi Lines brand, while two, under the Greek flag, will be deployed by the Greek subsidiary Minoan Lines. These six sister ships belong to the “Next Generation Med” class and will serve routes in the Mediterranean. The other three will be delivered to Finnlines, sail under the Finnish flag and inaugurate the “Hansa Superstar” class – constituting the evolution of the already state-of-the-art “Superstar” series – intended for routes in the Baltic Sea.

 

All nine ships will be delivered between 2028 and 2030 and will feature ground-breaking, green technology innovations. Optimized hull and propeller designs, energy-efficient onboard power management systems (both at sea and in port), shore power readiness and the application of silicon-based hull coatings will reduce CO₂ emissions per transported cargo unit by more than 50% compared to vessels currently operating on the same routes. Read more

 

Source: GRIMALDI GROUP