The Italian PCTC Ship “Grande Istambul” from Grimaldi Lines Passes Through the Port of Las Palmas on Its Way Back to China

The Italian PCTC ship “Grande Istambul” (IMO 9992696) made a technical stop this Tuesday at the port of Las Palmas, on its way to Taicang, China, via the Cape of Good Hope, as a safety measure due to the events in the Red Sea, Hormuz, and surrounding areas.

The aforementioned ship, which is newly launched, was presented in early July at the Autoport terminal of the port of Kocaeli, in the presence of Italian and Turkish authorities, as well as representatives from the maritime sector and clients of the company. It is part of a series of 17 new PCTC ships ordered by Grimaldi to strengthen its fleet dedicated to vehicle transportation.

Named in honor of Turkey's largest city and incorporated into the Grimaldi Lines fleet, it has a transport capacity of 9,241 vehicles.

Built at the Chinese shipyards Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding, it measures 200 m in length and 38 m in width, with a gross tonnage of 77,500 tons. Additionally, it is prepared to operate in the future using ammonia as an alternative fuel and can also connect to the electrical grid in port to reduce emissions.

The ship operates in the EuroMed service, which connects northern European ports with the Mediterranean, and is also equipped to transport trucks, trailers, machinery, and containers in addition to cars.

Photos: Nicolás Arocha for puentedemando.com