Knud E Hansen to Design Hybrid RoRo for Grimaldi Group

The “Grimaldi Green 5th Generation” (GG5G) hybrid roll-on/roll-off vessel. Illustration courtesy Knud E Hansen

Danish naval architecture firm Knud E Hansen has been selected to design six modern roll-on/roll-off vessels for Grimaldi Group.

The new vessels will have a length of 238 meters, a beam of 34 meters and a gross tonnage of 64,000 tonnes. Each will have the capacity to transport over 7,800 linear meters of rolling units, equivalent to about 500 trailers, nearly double the capacity of the largest vessel currently operated by Grimaldi.

Grimaldi placed the order for the six vessels with Nanjing Jinling Shipyard in China late last month. The order represents a total investment worth over $400 million.

Delivery of the first ship is anticipated for 2020.

The design of the newbuildings, called “Grimaldi Green 5th Generation” (GG5G), was developed by the Technical and Energy Saving Department of the Grimaldi Group together with Knud E. Hansen.

The vessels will be equipped with hybrid power, with giant lithium batteries which will generate 100% of the electricity needed while in port. The batteries will be recharged during navigation using shaft generators as well the aid of 600 square meters of solar panels.

They will also feature an innovative air lubrication system, which produces tiny air bubbles around the hull to reduce friction and hydrodynamic resistance, further increasing their efficiency.

Three of the ships will be operated by Grimaldi Lines in the Mediterranean while the remaining three, which will be ice-class, will be purchased by the Group’s sister company Finnlines and deployed in the Baltic Sea.

“Reducing fuel consumption and, consequently, cutting harmful emissions are categorical imperatives for our Group”, proudly commented Grimaldi Group President, Gianluca Grimaldi.

KNUD E. HANSEN Managing Director Finn Wollesen said, “It’s been a pleasure to cooperate with Grimaldi on the design of these vessels. The collaboration has been very fruitful and enabled us to develop a new generation of vessels that represents real advancement in terms of sustainability and efficiency by using various new technologies.”