Grimaldi Group has taken delivery of the Grande Egitto , a new 9,800-CEU Pure Car & Truck Carrier (PCTC). China Merchants Heavy Industries Jiangsu delivered the vessel on 21 September. The new ship is Grimaldi’s 14th Ammonia Ready unit. Together with sister ship Grande Pacifico , it is also the largest PCTC in the Group’s fleet. 9,800-CEU capacity Grande Egitto is 220 metres long and 38 metres wide. It has 15 decks and a service speed of 18 knots. The vessel can carry up to 9,800 CEU. It is designed to transport electric and conventional vehicles. It can also carry vehicles powered by compressed natural gas (CNG). RINA has awarded the vessel its Ammonia Ready notation. This means Grande Egitto can be converted to operate on ammonia in the future. Fuel consumption reduced by 50% Grimaldi said the new vessel can cut fuel consumption by 50% compared with previous-generation car carriers. The ship has 5 MWh of lithium battery capacity and can connect to shore power at equipped ports. This allows it to achieve zero emissions while berthed. It also has 2,500 square metres of solar panels. Other efficiency measures include an air lubrication system, an optimised hull and silicone hull coatings. An intelligent energy management system is also installed onboard. The vessel features a gate rudder to improve propulsion efficiency and manoeuvrability. Asia–East Africa deployment Grande Egitto will begin its maiden voyage next week. Grimaldi will deploy the vessel on its Asia–East Africa service. It will load in Taicang, China, before calling at Yokohama and Nagoya in Japan. The cargo will then be transported to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and Mombasa, Kenya. The maiden voyage will carry 4,150 cars and 6,200 linear metres of rolling freight , including trucks, buses and excavators. “With the entry into service of the Grande Egitto, we are giving a new, important boost to the expansion and modernization path of our vehicle transport fleet,” said Emanuele Grimaldi, Ma