First of Its Kind LNG-Fuelled Car Carrier Hits the Water

Europe’s short sea RoRo operator United European Car Carriers (UECC) has launched its new dual-fuel liquefied natural gas (LNG) pure car and truck carrier (PCTC) TBN AUTO ECO.

The vessel, which is the first of its kind ordered with an LNG fuel propulsion system, was built to Lloyd’s Register (LR) class.

The next milestones for the ship will be sea trials and gas trials, where its dual-fuel capabilities will be put to the test and its engines will run solely on LNG.

TBN AUTO ECO, which was constructed at NACKS shipyard in Nantong, China, is the first of two LR classed dual-fuel LNG PCTCs ordered in March 2014.

The vessel is scheduled to be delivered to UECC on September 28, 2016 in Nantong, China, while the second car carrier is also expected to join its owner in the second half of the year.

Featuring a length of 181 metres with a 30 metre beam, the vessels will have 1A super Finnish/Swedish ice class.

With capacity for approximately 3,800 cars, it will be the largest PCTC type vessel specifically designed for transiting the Baltic and other ice prone areas.

UECC is jointly owned by Japanese shipping company Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK) and Sweden’s Wallenius Line.