On January 17, the first 7600 ceu liquefied natural gas (LNG) dual-fuel powered PCTC built by Jiangnan shipyard for SAIC Anji Logistics started its maiden voyage. This is the largest clean energy ro-ro ship with the largest loading capacity in service, invested and constructed by China’s shipowner, which will help accelerate the export of China’s own brand automobiles.
The PCTC, named SAIC Anji Shencheng, will carry nearly 5,000 new cars of China’s own brands to Europe, of which about half are new energy vehicles.
It is understood that SAIC Anji Logistics placed an order in January 2022 with Jiangnan Shipbuilding for two 7,600 CEU LNG dual-fuel ocean-going car carriers. This series of 7,600 CEU LNG dual-fuel ocean-going car carriers were developed and designed by Shanghai Ship Research and Design Institute (SDARI) and built by Jiangnan Shipbuilding, with completely independent intellectual property rights, and were the largest dual-fuel-powered car carriers under construction in the world at that time, marking the historic breakthrough of China’s shipbuilding industry in this field.
The car carrier has an overall length of 199.9 meters, a breadth of 38 meters, a depth of 39.68 meters, a design draft of 9.2 meters and a displacement of 40,624.9 tons. With 14 decks, deadweight of about 13,100 tons, it is a new generation of super Panamax PCTC (Pure Car and Track Carrier) complying with the latest international emission rules, and will be classed by DNV and CCS after completion.
Benefited from the dual-fuel power design, the PCTC has many features such as high emission cleanliness, low fuel consumption, flexible operation, convenient maintenance and high profitability. It is equipped with a cargo deck that can be adapted to multiple new energy vehicles. With a 4,000 m3 of C-type amphibious liquid tanks, the ship meets the requirements of 19,000 nautical miles economic speed voyage.
The key equipment systems of the PCTC (WinGD X-DF main engine and iCER system, LNG liquid cargo containment and gas supply system, ro-ro equipment system) are all manufactured by companies or research institutes under CSSC, which enhances the rate of homemade and independent core equipments in this new project and is of milestone significance in the history of China’s large-scale ro-ro ship construction.
After delivery, the ship will become China’s largest, world-leading and most localized ocean-going PCTC, which will be able to actively meet the growing export business demand of SAIC Group and other domestic independent and foreign brands.