ACL G4 Class Profile Of The New G4 Class Of Con-ros

Matt Davies goes behind the scenes on Atlantic Container Line’s new G4 ships, which are the largest con-ros in the world.

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In August 2016 Atlantic Sea entered service with Grimaldi-owned Atlantic Container Line on a weekly transatlantic service from Northern Europe to the USA and Canada, carrying containers and ro-ro vehicles. The 100,530gt vessel is the third and latest in a series of five being built for ACL by the Chinese state owned Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding Co in Shanghai.

Officially the largest con-ros ever built, the vessels can carry 3,800TEU, with 28,900m2 of ro-ro space and capacity for 1,300+ vehicles. Designed by Danish ship architects Knud E. Hansen, the vessels, designated the G4 class, can carry twice as many containers as the 1984-85-built G3 class ships they have been built to replace, and have a third more ro-ro capacity on a similar hull length.