Seventh ammonia-ready vessel joins Grimaldi’s fleet

January 14, 2026, by Melisa Cavcic

Italy’s shipping player Grimaldi Group has taken delivery of the seventh ammonia-ready pure car and truck carrier (PCTC), which is already set for its maiden voyage on the Asia–Europe service.

The PCTC Grande Manila, which was christened in Shanghai, was built by Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding (SWS) and China Shipbuilding Trading Company (CSTC), both part of China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC). The delivery and christening ceremony was attended by Zhang Wei, Vice President of SWS, and Luigi Pacella Grimaldi, Automotive Intercontinental Director of the Grimaldi Group. The role of godmother of the Grande Manila was entrusted to Doris Ho, President and CEO of Magsaysay Group, a Philippine maritime recruitment and crew management company.

Emanuele Grimaldi, Grimaldi Group’s Managing Director, highlighted: “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.

“For our part, also through the partnership with the Ho family and Magsaysay Group, we reaffirm our commitment to the growth and well-being of this extraordinary human capital. At the same time, by adding Philippine ports to our network of services, operated regularly by state-of-the-art vessels, we will further contribute to the sustainable growth of the country’s economy.”

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This is the Italian group’s seventh ammonia-ready unit, prepared for the future use of ammonia as an alternative, zero-carbon fuel. With a length of 200 meters, a beam of 38 meters, and a gross tonnage of approximately 77,500 tons, the Grande Manila 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 car equivalent units (CEU), with four decks capable of carrying other rolling cargo, including heavy loads of up to 250 tons and as high as 6.5 meters. The ship is perceived to pay tribute not only to the capital of the Philippines, but to the entire maritime community of the country for the contribution it makes to the global shipping industry.

The PCTC’s name is interpreted to also reflect the growing importance of the Asian nation within the Grimaldi Group’s commercial network. Following the recent launch of a new service connecting China with the port of Batangas with two sailings per month, the firm aims to expand its presence in other Philippine ports as well, such as Manila.

The maiden voyage of the Grande Manila will begin this week on the Asia–Europe service, with the vessel departing from Taicang in China, carrying over 5,800 cars and 1,300 linear meters of other rolling cargo (buses, trucks, excavators, wheel loaders), which will be delivered to the United Kingdom, Spain and Belgium and, via transhipment at Grimaldi’s Antwerp hub, to other Northern European and Mediterranean destinations.

From Europe, the vessel will sail back to East Asia, with its return to China scheduled for the end of April 2026. Sporting an electronic engine, described as offering one of the lowest specific fuel consumptions in its class that complies with the most stringent international limits for CO2, NOx, and SOx emissions, this ship is deemed to reduce the CO2 emissions index per transported cargo by up to 50% compared to previous-generation PCTC vessels.

The Grande Manila has already received the ammonia-ready class notation from RINA, certifying that it can be converted in the future to use ammonia as a zero-carbon alternative fuel. The PCTC is also equipped for shore power supply during berthing (cold ironing), which, where available, provides a green alternative to the use of traditional fuels while docked in port.