Volkswagen charters first two LNG-fuelled car carriers
The Siem Confucius will enter service in January and the Siem Aristotle will be commissioned a few weeks later (Source: MAN Energy Solutions)
Volkswagen Group Logistics has fixed two new Chinese-built vehicle carriers for operation on its North Atlantic service between Europe and North America.
The 200m-long ships, Siem Confucius and Siem Aristotle, are owned by Kristiansand-headquartered Siem Car Carriers AS and are the first ocean-going vehicle carriers to be powered by LNG. They will replace two of Volkswagen’s nine existing heavy fuel oil-powered units and will be capable of carrying about 4,700 vehicles in a typical Volkswagen Group product mix. In eco-speed mode, the ships will run at 16.5 knots.
The two vessels, acclaimed as an important milestone in the car producer’s ‘goTOzero’ carbon reduction programme, are powered by 12,600-MW dual-fuel engines with direct injection and exhaust gas treatment supplied by MAN Energy Solutions, itself a Volkswagen subsidiary. The ships are also capable of operation on e-gas produced via Power-to-X or biogas. Each with two 1,800m3 LNG tanks, the two ships will have a similar range to conventional car carriers powered by heavy fuel oil.
