The ‘Eco Napoli’, the last of 14 ships in the Grimaldi Green 5th Generation (GG5G) class, said to be the largest and most eco-friendly ro-ro units for short-sea shipping, has been delivered by the Jinling yard in China.
The Italian-flagged Eco Napoli has a length of 238m, a beam of 34m, tonnage of 67,311gt and a service speed of 20.8 knots. Compared to the units of the previous series of ro-ro vessels deployed by the Grimaldi Group for short sea routes, the new ship can accommodate double the load on her seven decks (two of which are hoistable): in fact, she can carry 7,800 linear meters of rolling freight, equivalent to around 500 trailers and 180 cars.
However, the increase in capacity does not affect fuel consumption, thanks to the adoption of numerous innovative technological solutions that optimise the ship’s fuel consumption and performance. At the same speed, the Eco Napoli consumes the same amount of fuel compared to the previous generation ro-ro ships and is therefore able to halve CO2 emissions per unit transported.
The vessel is equipped with electronically controlled engines and an exhaust gas cleaning system for the reduction of sulphur and particulate emissions. Furthermore, during port stays, the Eco Napoli is capable of cutting emissions to zero by using the electricity stored in lithium batteries with a total power of 5MWh, which are recharged during navigation through shaft generators and 350 m2 of solar panels.
MD Emanuele Grimaldi said: “With the arrival of the Eco Napoli, the GG5G fleet is finally complete: fourteen hybrid ro-ro units, with a total value exceeding US$ 1bn, which in recent years have revolutionised short-sea transport in the Mediterranean and Northern Europe. Thanks to their outstanding operational and environmental performance, and our continued investments in the routes we serve, we will continue to enhance our Motorways of the Sea offering more capacity, efficiency, and sustainability.”
The Eco Napoli is expected to arrive in the Mediterranean in early May, carrying approximately 7,800 linear meters of rolling cargo (cars, vans, trucks, agricultural machines, etc.). She will then be used to further strengthen the Grimaldi Group’s ro-ro connection between Gemlik, Ambarli, Patras, and Trieste.
Image: ‘Eco Napoli’, 14th in Grimaldi’s GG5G ro-ro series (source: Grimaldi Group)
