The Grimaldi Group took delivery of their multipurpose vessel the Great Antwerp on Tuesday at the Hyundai Mipo Dockyard in Ulsan, South Korea.
The delivery of the new ship was celebrated with a ceremony.
This is the first of the six multipurpose ro-ro units commissioned from the Korean company just over two years ago. The vessel inaugurates a new class called G5, which is the evolution of the G4 ro-ro multipurpose vessels built by the same shipyard and delivered to the Grimaldi Group in 2014 and 2015.
“ The delivery of this ship marks the beginning of a new era for our group ”, said Guido Grimaldi, Deep Sea Commercial & Operations Director of the Grimaldi Group.
“ After the success of our five G3-class, six G4-class, as well as 10 Eurocargo-class ships, all built by Hyundai Mipo Dockyard, we now inaugurate a new class of ro-ro multipurpose vessels called ‘G5’. This new series of ships responds even more efficiently to the demand for quality transport services on deep sea routes, and to the needs related to the protection of the environment. We are thus taking a further important step within a path undertaken for several years now, aiming to operate on our main routes with a young, modern and eco-sustainable fleet .”
The G5-class ships are able to transport 4,700 linear metres of rolling freight, 2,500 CEU (Car Equivalent Units) and 2,000 TEU. Compared to the previous G4-class, the new vessels have the same capacity for rolling freight while their container capacity doubles.
Great Antwerp measures 250 metres in length, 38 metres in beam and has a deadweight of 45,684 tonnes.
The ship’s main engine and the auxiliary diesel generators are compliant with the NO x levels imposed by the Tier III regulation, while the integrated propulsion system between the rudder and propeller minimises vortex losses, optimises propulsive efficiency and reduces fuel consumption.
The vessel is designed for cold ironing with a shoreside supply of electricity. Furthermore, the electrical consumption of onboard machinery (pumps, fans, etc.) is reduced thanks to the installation of variable frequency drive devices, while the application of friction paints reduces hull resistance, thus increasing efficiency. The ship is also equipped with hybrid exhaust gas cleaning systems for the abatement of sulphur and particulate emissions.
According to Grimaldi, the Great Antwerp enables a reduction of CO 2 emissions per tonne transported of up to 43% compared to the company’s other ro-ro multipurpose ships.
All the G5-class units will be delivered between 2023 and 2024 and deployed on the Grimaldi Group maritime services between Northern Europe and West Africa.