LNG-fueled car carrier Auto ECO christened in Zeebrugge

The first LNG-fueled pure car and truck carrier built for United European Car Carriers, equally owned by NYK and Wallenius Lines was christened on Monday in the port of Zeebrugge. 

The vessel departed the NACKS shipyard in Nantong, China in September and arrived in Belgium on Thursday, November 17, according to the statement by the port of Zeebrugge.

Engie’s Dutch unit, through its social media channels, informed that it has performed the LNG bunkering of the vessel, delivering 200 tons of LNG in four tanker trucks in an operation that took 30 hours to complete.

UECC’s Auto ECO will also be the first vessel to be bunkered by Engie’s 5000-cbm LNG bunkering vessel that is set to begin operations at the port of Zeebrugge, which will be its home port. It will be operated by Gas4Sea, a joint venture between Engie and its Japanese partners Mitsubishi Corporation and NYK Line.

The vessel has a Finnish/Swedish ice class 1A super vessel, thus allowing for full-year trading in the Baltic area, where ice is common in winter, and complies with sulphur regulations, and its dual-fuel engines are capable of using either liquefied natural gas or heavy fuel oil and marine gas oil.

Together with its sister-vessel, the TBN Auto Energy, that is scheduled for delivery before the end of this month, the Auto ECO has a capacity of approximately 3800 cars, including 6000 square meters of high and heavy cargo on 10 decks with a maximum cargo weight of 160 mt.

LNG World News Staff