The Grimaldi Group has taken delivery in Shanghai of the new Pure Car & Truck Carrier Grande Seoul, the ninth vessel in the fleet of the Naples-based shipping group designed for the future use of ammonia as a zero-carbon alternative fuel. The delivery took place on 11 March 2026 at the shipyards of Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Company Limited and China Shipbuilding Trading Company Limited, companies belonging to the China State Shipbuilding Corporation group.
The vessel will enter commercial service in the coming days on the Asia–Europe route, strengthening the group’s connections dedicated to vehicle transport between Asia and the European market. Grande Seoul is 200 metres long and 38 metres wide, with a gross tonnage of around 77,500 tonnes. The vessel is designed to transport different types of vehicles, including cars, SUVs and vans, both electric and with traditional engines, as well as other rolling cargo. Loading capacity reaches 9,241 CEU, while four decks are configured to accommodate other rolling units and exceptional cargo, with a weight of up to 250 tonnes and a height of up to 6.5 metres.
The ship joins a series of vessels already in operation that includes Grande Tianjin, Grande Auckland, Grande Melbourne, Grande Istanbul and Grande Manila. In addition to their high cargo capacity, these vessels are designed with technical solutions that significantly reduce the carbon dioxide emission index per unit of cargo transported, with values up to 50% lower than the previous generation of PCTC ships.
The vessel is equipped with a latest-generation electronically controlled engine that delivers among the lowest specific fuel consumption levels in its category and complies with the most stringent international limits for emissions of CO2, nitrogen oxides and sulphur oxides. Grande Seoul has also obtained the Ammonia Ready class notation from RINA (Italian Naval Register), a certification confirming the possibility of future conversion to ammonia as a carbon-free alternative fuel. The vessel is also prepared for shore power supply during port stays.
The ship’s name refers to the city of Seoul, the capital of South Korea, which joined the Grimaldi Group’s global operational network in 2022. Since then, the company has launched regular services between Europe and South Korea in both directions. Through its maritime network connecting more than 150 ports in 60 countries, the group links the Asian country with the main international trade routes. Grande Seoul will depart from China in the coming days for its maiden voyage on the Asia–Europe route. The vessel will sail from the port of Shanghai (Taicang) with a cargo of more than 6,200 cars and around 1,600 linear metres of other rolling cargo destined for the European ports of Antwerp in Belgium, Portbury in the United Kingdom and Vigo in Spain.
