On August 9, Höegh Aurora, the first 9100 CEU dual-fuel PCTC (pure car and track carrier) built by China Merchants Heavy Industries Haimen shipyard (CMHI Haimen shipyard), successfully left the shipyard and berthed at Nangang Terminal in Shanghai. After refueling with LNG fuel during berthing at Nangang Terminal, the PCTC will start its international voyage depart for Japan.
“Höegh Aurora” is the largest and most environmentally friendly car carrier in the world. The PCTC has an overall length of 199.9 meters, a length of 196.4 meters, a width of 37.6 meters, a depth of 14.53 meters, a design draft of 9.35 meters, with a carrying capacity of up to 9,100 vehicles, and has an enhanced deck and internal ramp system that allows it to load cars on 14 decks.
The PCTC is also equipped with 1,500 square meters of solar panels, which can save 30%~35% of the electricity production from the generators. It is equipped with one low-speed dual-fuel main engine and three dual-fuel generators, which can run on both LNG and conventional fuels.It also boasts DNV’s “ammonia-ready” and “methanol-ready” notations, making it the first carbon-neutral fuelled vessel in the car carrier sector.
Designed by Deltamarin, a subsidiary of China Merchants Industry, Höegh Aurora is the first PCTC of the dual-fuel and zero-carbon ready Aurora Class series of Ro-Ro vessels, which fully meets the technical requirements of the future “dual-carbon” target. After put into operation, it can significantly reduce the carbon emissions per unit of vehicle transportation, becoming one of the greenest vessels in the current automobile ro-ro vessel market.
It is reported that the PCTC is now mainly engaged in European routes, traveling to and from East Asia and Europe and other major automobile manufacturing and consuming countries.