UECC orders car carriers in China

The contract includes firm orders for two ships and two options for repeats. UECC, jointly owned by Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK) and Wallenius Lines, has signed a contract to construct two new-generation PCTC with China Ship Building Trading and Jiangnan Shipyard Group. The first vessel is planned for delivery in 2021. They will be equipped with a battery hybrid LNG propulsion system which will place UECC beyond IMO’s target for a 40% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030. “This is a giant leap towards decarbonisation,” said UECC chief executive officer Mr Glenn Edvardsen. The vessels will have a length overall of 169m, a width of 28m and will have ten cargo decks, of which two decks are hoistable. The vessels will be able to accommodate a high, heavy and breakbulk cargoes in addition to cars. The ships will meet the Tier 3 emission limitations coming into force the Baltic Sea and the North Sea from 2021. In respect of the 2021 CO₂ reduction regulations, the vessels will also be equipped with dual-fuel LNG engines for main propulsion and auxiliaries. As more biofuels are set to become commercially available in the future, UECC aims to also use carbon neutral and synthetic fuels as part of its future fuel mix.