The Grande Torino by Grimaldi launched today at the Port of Civitavecchia

Civitavecchia, 8th November 2019 - The Pure Car & Truck Carrier Grande Torino was delivered this morning to the Grimaldi Group at the Port of Civitavecchia, by TV host Massimo Giletti. The sponsor of the ceremony was showgirl and TV hostess Cristina Chiabotto.

Many local authorities attended the event, including the Supply Chain by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) summit, the top management of the Partenopeo Group and the port comunity of Civitavecchia. Greetings have been made by Francesco Maria di Majo, President of the Port System of the Center-Northern Thyrrenean Sea, Vincenzo Leone, Chief of the Marine Direction of Civitavecchia, Mauro Coletta, Director General of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transportion, Ernesto Tedesco, Mayor of Civitavecchia, and Emanuele Grimaldi, CEO of the Grimaldi Group.

After the greetings, Mgr Cono Firringa, parish priest of the Cahtedral of Civitavecchia, baptised the ship. The ceremony ended with the ribbon cutting and the traditional breaking of the bottle by Cristina Chiabotto.

The event coincides with the 50th anniversary of the start of the relations between the partenopeo group and FCA, when the first “Grimaldi Lines”  car carrier ship was launched and baptised as Warrington, paying homage to Fiat UK, which headquarters where in Warrington. The ship was used to connect Italy and the UK transporting Fiat cars to the British market.

“We welcome today our group's new car carrier flagship, which represents a further and significant step forward towards an increasingly ecofriendly fleet, guaranteeing a truly sustainable maritime transportation:

The Grande Torino is a highly performing ship, fitted with an electronically-controlled main engine, allowing her to meet the new regulations for the reduction of polluting emissions”, declared Emanuele Grimaldi.

“The ship is named after the city where Fiat Chrysler Automobiles have their offices, honoring the long and fruitful partnership that has bonded us for half a century to one of the most important car manufacturers in the world”,  concluded the CEO of Grimaldi.

The Grande Torino is the first unit of a series of seven sister vessels ordered by the Grimaldi Group to the Chinese Yangfan shipyard of Zhoushan. It has a length of 199.90 meters, a beam of 36.45 meters, a gross tonnage of 65,255 tonnes and a service speed of 19 knots. The ship can transport approximately 7,600 CEU (Car Equivalent Units) or, alternatively, 5,400 linear meters of rolling units and 2,737 CEU.

The Grande Torino is an extremely flexible vessel, with her four hoistable decks, a side ramp and a quarter stern ramp, it is able to load any type of rolling freight such as trucks, tractors, busses, excavators, up to 5.3 meters high.  

From an environmental point of view, the Grande Torino is a highly performing ship. She is, in fact, fitted with an electronically-controlled Man Energy Solutions main engine, allowing her to meet the new regulations for the reduction of nitrogen oxide emissions (NOx). Moreover, she is equipped with a ballast water treatment unit, which will allow her to meet the future international regulations.  

The Grande Torino will be employed on the weekly ro-ro service operated by the Grimaldi Group between the Mediterranean Sea and North America (Canada, United States and Mexico). The connection serves the following ports: Gioia Tauro, Civitavecchia, Livorno, Savona (Italy), Valencia (Spain), Antwerp (Belgium), Halifax (Canada), Davisville, New York, Baltimore, Jacksonville, Houston (USA), Tuxpan and Veracruz (Mexico).