The ship’s name pays tribute to Japan and its growing role within the Group’s network.
On her maiden voyage, she will transport thousands of cars from China to Brazil.
Naples, 17 April 2026: The new Pure Car & Truck Carrier (PCTC) Grande Tokyo has been christened and delivered in Shanghai. For the Grimaldi Group’s fleet, this marks the tenth ammonia-ready vessel, meaning she is designed for the future use of ammonia as an alternative fuel.
This is also the last of seven sister vessels ordered from the shipyards SWS (Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Company Limited) and CSTC (China Shipbuilding Trading Company Limited), both part of China State Shipbuilding Corporation Limited (CSSC).
The Grande Tokyo has been designed for the efficient transport of vehicles (cars, SUVs, vans, etc.), both electric and powered by traditional fuels, as well as any other type of rolling cargo. She has a loading capacity of 9,241 CEU (Car Equivalent Units), with four decks also capable of carrying other rolling cargo, including heavy loads of up to 250 tons and as high as 6.5 meters.
The vessel is named after the city of Tokyo as a symbolic tribute to Japan and its central role within Grimaldi’s Asia-focused services. The Group serves several Japanese ports within regular direct connections between Asia and Europe, the Persian Gulf and East Africa, and continues to strengthen its presence in the country. Thanks to transshipment options and a network comprising over 150 ports in 60 countries, the company is able to connect Japan to the world’s main trade routes.
Among those attending the christening ceremony were Zhang Wei, Vice President of SWS, and Luigi Pacella Grimaldi, Automotive Intercontinental Director of the Grimaldi Group.
The role of godmother of the Grande Tokyo was entrusted to Rena Kawachi, HR Director of Mitsubishi Fuso, a leading Japanese manufacturer of trucks and buses, highlighting the company’s strong partnership with the Grimaldi Group for vehicle exports from Japan to key markets in Africa, the Middle East, Northern Europe and the Mediterranean.
“With our latest-generation ammonia-ready PCTCs, featuring high transport capacity and drastically reduced emissions, we have set a new standard of efficiency and environmental sustainability in global vehicle shipping along the main trade routes,” said Emanuele Grimaldi, Managing Director of the Grimaldi Group. “We reaffirm our commitment to strengthening our role as a reliable partner for our customers, supporting their growth with increasingly advanced logistics solutions capable of adapting to the needs of an ever-evolving market.”
The Grande Tokyo’s maiden voyage will begin in the coming days from Ningbo (China), bound for Brazil. The vessel will depart carrying approximately 6,800 cars destined for the ports of Paranaguá and Rio de Janeiro.
Main technologies on board the Grande Tokyo
With a length of 200 metres, a beam of 38 metres and a gross tonnage of approximately 77,500 tonnes, the Grande Tokyo is equipped with a state-of-the-art electronic engine, which offers one of the lowest specific fuel consumptions in its class and complies with the most stringent international limits for CO₂, NOx, and SOx emissions.
In particular, thanks to her size – which maximizes loading capacity – proven ship design, innovative features, and state-of-the-art systems, the Grande Tokyo reduces the CO₂ emissions index per transported cargo by up to 50% compared to previous-generation PCTC vessels.
Additionally, the Grande Tokyo has received the “Ammonia Ready” class notation from RINA (Italian Naval Register), certifying that she can be converted in the future to use ammonia as a zero-carbon alternative fuel. She is also equipped for shore power supply during berthing (cold ironing), which, where available, provides a green alternative to the use of traditional fuels while docked in port.
The Grimaldi Group, headquartered in Naples, operates a fleet of over 130 vessels and employs approximately 21,000 people. Wholly owned by the Grimaldi family, it is a multinational logistics Group specialized in the operation of roll-on/roll-off vessels, car carriers and ferries. It comprises seven shipping companies, namely: Grimaldi Deep Sea, operating in the transport of rolling cargo and containers on the Atlantic routes and between the Mediterranean and West Africa; Grimaldi Euromed, specialists in the transport of rolling freight in Europe, in the Motorways of the Sea and in passenger transport in the Mediterranean with the Grimaldi Lines brand; Atlantic Container Line, which offers transport services for containers and rolling cargo between North America and Northern Europe; Malta Motorways of the Sea, whose vessels connect Malta to the main ports in the Mediterranean; Minoan Lines, operating in Greek cabotage for the transport of freight and passengers; Finnlines, carrying freight and passengers in the North and Baltic Sea; and Trasmed GLE, active in the transport of freight and passengers between mainland Spain and the Balearic Islands.
These maritime connections are the core of an advanced logistics chain, which includes port terminals and road transport companies. The 20-plus ports and terminals owned/operated by the Grimaldi Group are located in 13 countries: Italy, Spain, Greece, Germany, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Ireland, Belgium, Egypt, Cameroon, Nigeria and Benin. Most of these terminals are fitted with Pre-Delivery Inspection (PDI) facilities, warehouses and workshops.
