Italian shipping company Grimaldi Group has added the Grande Shanghai to its fleet, a pure car and truck carrier (PCTC) suitable for conversion to ammonia propulsion and set to operate on the East Asia-East Africa route.

Built by China Merchants Heavy Industries (CMHI) Jiangsu, the 9,000 CEU vessel is the firm’s second ammonia-ready ship, Grimaldi said in a statement on its website on Wednesday.

The ammonia-ready notation indicates the ship has been designed with features such as space for future ammonia fuel tank installations, making it suitable for conversion to run on ammonia propulsion.

While such notations are increasingly common in newbuilds, actual conversions remain rare in the industry.

In addition, the Grande Shanghai is equipped with 5 MWh of lithium batteries and shore power capability.

“Two and a half years ago, when we signed the order for these ten extraordinary new units, we decisively chose to invest in a carbon-free future by focusing on alternative fuels such as ammonia,” Emanuele Grimaldi, Managing Director of Grimaldi Group, said.