LNG dual-fuel BYD Explorer No.1 visits Bremerhaven for the first time

BYD Explorer No.1, the LNG dual-fuel pure car and truck carrier (PCTC) vessel operated by the world’s biggest EV maker BYD, docked at BLG AutoTerminal Bremerhaven for the first time on February 26, 2024.

The 7,000 CEU vessel embarked on its maiden voyage from the Port of Shenzhen in mid-January.

“We’re delighted to be able to welcome the BYD Explorer No. 1 to our quay after its maiden voyage,” said Matthias Magnor, COO and Member of the board of the BLG Group.

“Our port has been serving automobile manufacturers around the world for many years. By choosing our port, BYD underlines its importance as an international hub for automobile logistics. We handle vehicles, put them into storage, perform technical services, and take care of distribution by truck, train, and ship.”

With its annual handling capacity of more than 1.7 million vehicles, the BLG AutoTerminal Bremerhaven ranks among the largest automobile terminals in the world. All the major shipping lines for vehicles regularly use Bremerhaven, and every year some 1,000 car carriers arrive at the terminal.

“The arrival of the RoRo carrier ‘BYD Explorer No. 1’ at BLG AutoTerminal Bremerhaven is a strong example of our port’s ability to master specialised logistics challenges. This first call not only emphasises the efficiency of our port infrastructure, but also confirms Bremerhaven’s essential role in the efficient handling of international automobile transports, especially in the area of RoRo shipment,” Kristina Vogt, Bremen’s Senator for the Economy, Ports, and Transformation, commented.

Built by CIMC Raffles, a subsidiary of China International Marine Containers (CIMC), the newbuild is the first car carrier built at a Chinese yard that will transport domestically produced cars. Its delivery marked the beginning of the era of China’s own transport of domestically built cars.

The ship was built for the US-based shipping company Zodiac Maritime and leased to BYD as the first of eight new units in the car maker’s ocean-going fleet.

With a length of 199.9 meters and a width of 38 meters, BYD Explorer No.1 has thirteen decks.

It is equipped with two sets of C-type LNG storage tanks and uses liquefied natural gas as the main fuel for the main engine and generators, significantly reducing emissions of nitrogen oxides and sulfur oxides.

In addition, BYD Explorer No.1 is equipped with low-resistance methylsilane antifouling paint technology that can reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions by up to 5%.