Italy’s Grimaldi Group has made substantial progress in its long-planned shipbuilding program.
According to foreign media reports, Grimaldi has commissioned China Merchants Jingling Shipyard (Weihai) Co. Ltd. (“CMJL (Weihai)”) to build nine methanol dual-fuel ropax vessels, with a total order value of up to US$1.3 billion. Based on this calculation, the cost of each vessel is about US$144 million with deliveries expected to take place from 2028 to 2030.
As early as 2024, Grimaldi has planned to build nine new-generation ropax vessels and cooperate with Danish ship design company Knud E. Hansen on ship research and design to determine the specific ship vessel and size.
Four of the nine new vessels will fly the Italian flag and be operated under the Grimaldi Lines brand; two will fly the Greek flag and be operated by the Greek subsidiary Minoan Lines. These six sister vessels are all “Next Generation Med” class and will serve the Mediterranean routes. They will also become the first Ro-Ro vessels using methanol in the Mediterranean region.
The remaining three vessels will fly the Finnish flag and be operated by Finnlines. They belong to the “Hansa Superstar” class, an upgraded version of the “Superstar” series of passenger and vehicle vessels, which will be mainly used on the Baltic Sea route.
Designed to enhance the quality of sea transport of ro-ro cargo and passengers in the Mediterranean and Baltic Seas, all nine ropax vessels will be equipped with methanol dual-fuel engines.
At the same time, it will adopt an optimized hull and propeller design, an energy-efficient onboard power management system (both at sea and in port), a shore power system, and a silicon-based hull coating. Compared with ships currently operating on the same routes, carbon dioxide emissions per unit of transported cargo will be reduced by more than 50%. It will also feature an optimized hull and propeller design, an energy-efficient onboard power management system (both offshore and in port), a shore power system and a silicone-based hull coating. CO2 emissions per unit of cargo transported will be reduced by more than 50 percent compared to vessels currently operating on the same routes.
The new Next Generation Med class vessel is 229 meters in length, can carry 3,300 meters of ro-ro cargo and more than 300 vehicles, can accommodate up to 2,500 passengers, and provides more than 300 cabins (a total of more than 1,200 passengers) and about 700 reclining seats; equipped with 3 bars, 1 shopping area, 1 conference hall, 2 buffet restaurants, 1 panoramic a la carte restaurant, 1 indoor/outdoor lounge and 1 rooftop disco bar and many other facilities. The sun deck area of the indoor/outdoor lounge is equipped with 2 swimming pools. The interior design will be carefully planned, and the furniture will be customized for Grimaldi Lines and Minoan Lines vessels to meet the tastes and special needs of their respective target markets.
The “Hansa Superstar” class ro-ro vessel is 240 meters long and can carry 5,100 meters of ro-ro cargo and 90 vehicles. It is equipped with 320 cabins and can accommodate up to 1,100 passengers. The design of the new vessel is based on Finnlines’ “Superstar” series vessels “Finnsirius” and “Finncanopus”, but has been adjusted for the Finland-Germany route. The new vessel will be better adapted to longer voyages, with new cabin categories and restaurant options based on the preferences of different passengers, focusing on comfort and onboard experience.
The Hansa Superstar class vessels will also feature five bars and restaurants, a spa offering a wide range of services and treatments (including the iconic Finnish sauna), shops and two children’s play areas designed for different age groups. At the same time, there is a main bar at the bow on deck 12, offering a beautiful view of the Baltic Sea during the voyage.
It is worth noting that the above large order of 9 ropax vessels is not the first cooperation between Grimaldi Group and CMJL (Weihai). As early as 2018, Grimaldi ordered 3 hybrid sto/ro super-large green vessels from CMJL (Weihai).In 2020, Finnlines, a subsidiary of the Grimaldi Group, signed a contract with the shipbuilder for the construction of 2 cruise-class high-end ropax vessels.
On December 12, 2023, CMJL (Weihai) signed and delivered the second “Superstar” series hybrid cruise-class high-end ropax vessel “Finncanopus” built for Finnlines Plc, marking the successful completion of Finnlines’ green vessel construction project with a total of 5 vessels worth €500 million at China Merchants Industry.