With two Con-Ro ships, the Neapolitan shipping company will serve a terminal on the Yangtze River to load new electric cars and containerized cargo
The Italian Shipping Company Grimaldi Group has inaugurated the first river-sea transport line for new Chinese vehicles and cars to Africa using two Con-Ro According to local press sources
the Neapolitan shipping company will transport new cars and other containerized cargo from the port of Taicang on the Yangtze River to Durban in South Africa and Lagos in Nigeria.
Chinese electric cars
Chinese authorities have specified that this new maritime connection was conceived to accommodate the growing demand for Chinese electric cars destined for the African market.
The first Shipping line
The first departure of the new line took place in recent days with the Grande Abidjan ship that loaded 2,700 vehicles at the Haitong Automobile Terminal in Taicong port in the city of Suzhou. The other unit used should be the Grande Tema and both have a capacity of about 2,000 TEU for containers. This is absolutely the first Shipping line from the Yangtze River Delta to Africa and represents, in addition to new cars, an outlet channel for other Chinese productions directed to the black continent.
Various types of rolling cargo
This new maritime line will allow the shipment of various types of rolling cargo (such as cars, vans, trucks, construction and agricultural machinery) and of containers from China with transshipment at the Grimaldi-owned PTML terminal in Lagos for delivery to the main ports in West Africa and Brazil.
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Great Cotonou
It is noteworthy that In January 2025, the Great Cotonou inaugurated a brand-new Grimaldi Group route connecting China to Lagos (Nigeria). The ship will operate alongside a sister vessel, providing a service with an initial monthly frequency.
Related : Grimaldi considers leaving its subsidiary Acl to the US market
The vessel’s christening ceremony
This major announcement was made during the vessel’s christening ceremony, held at the South Korean shipyard on 17 December. The event was attended by numerous guests, including Hyundai Mipo Dockyard Co. Ltd President and CEO H.K. Kim, Senior Vice Presidents C. O. Park and H. J. Choi, and Andrea Grimaldi, Deep Sea Lines Executive Manager of the Grimaldi Group. The ship’s godmother was Bernardette Bottino, wife of Peter Bottino, President and CEO of AES, one of Grimaldi Group’s key clients for vehicle transportation between the United States and West Africa.
Design of the Great Cotonou and her sister vessels
With length of 250 metres, beam of 38 metres and deadweight of 45,684 tonnes, the design of the Great Cotonou and her sister vessels is the result of a careful study of the needs of the Group and its customers: thanks to an innovative and completely customized internal configuration, these ships are able to transport 4,700 linear metres of rolling freight, 2,500 CEU (Car Equivalent Units) and 2,000 TEU (Twenty Foot Equivalent Units). Compared to the previous G4-class, they have the same capacity for rolling freight while their container capacity is double.
Cutting-edge technological solutions
In addition to loading capacity, the Great Cotonou stands out for her numerous cutting-edge technological solutions aimed at increasing energy efficiency and reducing environmental impact. The result is a significant reduction in CO2 emissions per tonne transported of up to 43% less compared to other Grimaldi Ro-Ro multipurpose vessels. In addition, she is designed for cold ironing with shoreside supply of electricity (where available) as a green alternative to the consumption of fossil fuels during port stays.
About :The Grimaldi GroupÂ
The Grimaldi Group is now Italy’s biggest shipowning Group and the world’s leading operator in the maritime transport of rolling freight, as well as the European leader on the Motorways of the Sea. Wholly owned by the Grimaldi’s family, the Neapolitan Group is led by Gianluca Grimaldi, Emanuele Grimaldi and Diego Pacella.
The Group also operates a network of port terminals and logistics companies, forming an integrated logistics chain, and is also active in the passenger and container transport sector.
