COPENHAGEN: Grimaldi Group of Naples has just added a further 10 newbuildings to its already large orderbook of ships, Splash can exclusively reveal.
Sources familiar with the deal tell Splash that on Friday the Italian shipping company will announce the new order worth $300m just signed with the Chinese shipyard Yangfan for the construction of five pure car/truck carriers (PCTCs) with 7,800 ceu capacity and deliveries scheduled from 2017 onwards.
In addition to this first series of newbuildings, there is an option for five more units that would bring the order to a total of 10 and the investment plan to $600m. The 13-deck vessels will move Fiats and Chryslers from Europe to the US and vice versa.
Apart from these vessels, Grimaldi Group has eight roros and conros under construction at Hyundai Mipo and Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding set for delivery in the coming months for Grimaldi Lines and Atlantic Container Line.
