Höegh takes delivery of first Aurora PCTC
At the naming ceremony in China
(Source: Höegh Autoliners)
Oslo-based Höegh Autoliners has taken delivery of the first vehicle carrier in its Aurora class at a naming ceremony in China Merchants Heavy Industry’s Jiangsu shipyard. The 9,100-CEU Höegh Aurora, with 14 decks, is the first of 12 Aurora-class vessels which, the company claims, represent a ‘monumental leap’ towards its 2040 net-zero emissions goal.
The vessel has DNV ‘ammonia ready’ and ‘methanol ready’ notation but, together with other early vessels in the class, will start by using liquefied natural gas biofuels and low-sulphur oil. From 2027, the company intends that the Höegh Aurora and three of its sisters will switch to green ammonia, reducing emissions by close to 100%.
The vessels will have 1,500m2 of solar panels on their top decks, reducing electricity produced by generators by 30-35%. They will be capable of linking to shore power facilities when and where available.
The company’s CEO, Andreas Enger, declared: “With the Aurora Class, we are pioneering efforts to combat pollution in a hard-to abate segment. We are setting new standards for sustainable deep-sea transportation, making a significant stride toward our 2040 net zero emissions goal.
“As the largest and most environmentally friendly PCTCs ever built, the Aurora Class vessels embody the change our industry needs,” he continued. “This achievement would not have been possible without the support of the Norwegian maritime cluster, our trusted partners, and our investors. We are grateful for their invaluable contributions to this project.”
Through its membership of the First Movers Coalition, Höegh Autoliners has committed to powering at least 5% of its deep-sea operations with green ammonia by 2030. It expects to use at least 100,000 tonnes of the fuel by that time. With this in mind, the company is collaborating with several ammonia producers including Yara Clean Ammonia, Norwegian North Ammonia, and Sumitomo Corporation.
The company expects delivery of two Aurora-class ships every six months until the first half of 2027 and holds options for another four ships.
