On November 26, United European Car Carriers (UECC), which is invested 50% shares each by NYK and Wallenius Lines, took delivery of the world’s first dual-fuel LNG battery hybrid pure car and truck carrier (PCTC). The vessel was built by Jiangnan Shipyard (Group) Co. Ltd. in China and will be named “Auto Advance.” The ship will be used to transport finished vehicles within Europe.

The vessel is equipped with a dual-fuel engine that can use LNG or heavy fuel oil. This is the third such vessel for UECC after Auto Eco and Auto Energy.

Additionally, the ship comes equipped with the world’s first dual-fuel LNG battery hybrid system, allowing the vessel to further improve fuel consumption by operating the main engine and power generation engine more efficiently than before.

The battery hybrid system uses a combination of a shaft generator driven by the main engine and a battery to efficiently supply onboard power and reduce the environmental burden. In addition, in the event of a generator failure, power is supplied from the battery to the ship to avoid power loss and thus contribute to safe operation. The use of LNG fuel, in addition to the battery hybrid system to improve fuel economy, will result in virtually 90% less sulfur oxide (SOx) emissions, 85% less nitrogen oxide (NOx), and 25% less carbon dioxide (CO₂) compared to conventional vessels fueled with heavy oil. As a result, the vessel will also meet the IMO’s Tier 3 NOx emissions limitations* for the North Sea and Baltic Sea.

Outline of vessel
Length overall: 169.10 meters
Breadth: 28.00 meters
Gross tonnage: 35,667 tons
Total car capacity: 3,661 units
Shipbuilder: Jiangnan Shipyard (Group) Co., Ltd.
Flag: Madeira

On February 3, NYK released the NYK Group ESG Story, which aims to further integrate ESG into the company’s management strategy and promotes activities that contribute to the achievement of the SDGs through business activities. To strongly promote ESG management, the Automotive Transportation Headquarters has set up the Sail GREEN project** to expand the network of environmental value chains at each company of the NYK Group and thus create new value as a sustainable solution provider.

* IMO’s Tier 3 NOx emissions limitations
Annex VI of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) regulates NOx emissions from vessels. The diesel engines used on vessels built after 2021 are required to reduce NOx emissions by more than 80% from the Tier I NOx emissions limitations in Emission Control Areas, including the North Sea and Baltic Sea.

** Sail GREEN project
A project being promoted by NYK’s Automotive Transportation Headquarters to reduce CO₂ emissions at all the transportation stages of vehicles and contribute to the eco-friendly supply chains of customers. The chief component of the project is a switch to LNG-fueled PCTCs, which emit less CO₂ compared to conventional heavy-fueled vessels. In addition, reducing CO₂ emissions at finished-car logistics terminals that NYK operates throughout the world, as well as during short sea and inland transportation, is also an important target of this project.

Wallenius Lines
Head office: Stockholm, Sweden
CEO: Jonas Kleberg
Website: https://www.walleniuslines.com/

United European Car Carriers
Head office: Oslo, Norway
CEO: Glenn Edvardsen
Website: https://www.uecc.com/