Freight News, Sea


Grimaldi commissions nine new super-ships

[ May 2, 2025   //   ]

Grimaldi Group has commissioned the construction of nine ro-pax vessels from builders China Merchants Industry Group, worth $1.5 billion.

The passenger and freight ships will be deployed in Mediterranean and Baltic Sea and will have engines capable of running on methanol, making them ready to achieve net zero emissions.

Four will sail under the Italian flag and be operated under the Grimaldi Lines brand, while two, under the Greek flag, will be deployed by the Greek subsidiary Minoan Lines. These six sister ships belong to the Next Generation Med class.

The other three will be delivered to Finnlines, sail under the Finnish flag as the Hansa Superstar class.

All nine ships will be delivered between 2028 and 2030 and will feature optimized hull and propeller designs, energy-efficient onboard power management systems (both at sea and in port), shore power readiness and silicon-based hull coatings. They will reduce CO₂ emissions per transported cargo unit by more than 50% compared to vessels currently operating on the same routes, says Grimaldi.

At 229 metres long, the new Mediterranean ro-pax vessels will have a cargo capacity of 3,300 lane metres for rolling freight and over 300 cars, as well as up to 2,500 passengers.

The Baltic Sea vessels will be 240 metres long, with a cargo capacity of 5,100 lane metres for rolling freight plus 90 cars, and accommodation for up to 1,100 passengers.

China Merchants Industry Group and CMI Weihai Shipyard will bring together a research and development team. Its president, Miao Jianmin, added: “China Merchants Industry is willing to continue to work with the Grimaldi Group to deepen cooperation in cutting-edge fields such as zero-carbon fuel and smart ships and jointly provide more efficient and sustainable shipping solutions for global customers.”

Managing director of the Grimaldi Group, Emanuele Grimaldi, said: “With the order of these nine extraordinary ro-pax vessels, we continue and strengthen our long, successful alliance with China Merchants Group, an outstanding partner for the building of cutting-edge ships.

“The new Next Generation Med and Hansa Superstar classes are the result of a thorough study of our customers’ needs and, more broadly, those of shipping. In particular, the exceptional performance in CO₂ emission reduction and the use of methanol as an alternative fuel bring our Group even closer to the global goal of net-zero emissions, further solidifying our position as a leading player in short-sea transport in the Mediterranean and Baltic regions.”

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