Eco Valencia ready to enter service in the Mediterranean
Exactly one month after her delivery, this morning for the first time the Eco Valencia entered the port of Livorno. This is the first of the 12 hybrid ro-ro ships ordered by the Grimaldi Group in 2018 from the Chinese shipyard Jinling located in Nanjing, Grimaldi said in its release.
For her maiden voyage, Emanuele Grimaldi, Group Managing Director, and Guido Grimaldi, Corporate Short Sea Shipping Commercial Director of the Neapolitan group, welcomed her at the Sintermar quay in the port of Livorno.
The Eco Valencia, the first unit of the Grimaldi Green 5th Generation (GG5G) class, can transport over 7,800 linear meters of rolling goods, equivalent to around 500 trailers. The loading capacity of her garages is twice that of the largest ro/ro ships currently operated by the Grimaldi Group. Nevertheless, thanks to the adoption of numerous highly innovative technological solutions, the new vessel consumes the same amount of fuel at the same speed. This means twice the efficiency measured in terms of consumption per tonne transported.
For its exceptional environmental performance, the Italian Naval Registry has assigned the Eco Valencia the additional class notation "Green Plus". The ship is equipped with latest-generation electronically-controlled engines, and uses fossil fuel in navigation and electricity while at berth, guaranteeing “Zero Emissions in Port®”. During stays at berth, in fact, the energy demand of on-board activities is met with just the electricity stored in lithium batteries that are recharged during navigation thanks to shaft generators and 600 m2 of solar panels.
In addition to the Tuscan port, the Eco Valencia will also regularly serve Savona, Barcelona and Valencia. In Livorno the ship will dock at Sintermar (Pier 24 South), a terminal facility which got ready, both with regards to mooring and storage areas, to host this ship as well as her sister vessels which are currently under construction.
At the end of the operations, the Eco Valencia will set sail for Savona.
