UECC to Build Third Battery Hybrid LNG PCTC

Norway-based provider of shortsea RoRo transportation United European Car Carriers (UECC) has decided to build a third battery hybrid LNG vessel.

UECC, which is jointly owned by NYK and Wallenius Lines, has now confirmed an option with China Ship Building Trading and Jiangnan Shipyard Group for the third LNG-powered pure car truck carrier (PCTC), this time slated for the company’s Atlantic short sea trade.

“This order is another step in our commitment to cleaner shipping,” Glenn Edvardsen, CEO of UECC, commented.

“Our experience with LNG duel-fuel vessels has been good, and we want to keep moving forward to expand our sustainable fleet.”

Earlier this year, the company ordered two next-generation PCTCs of which the first would be delivered in 2021. The new orders will push the UECC dual-fuel LNG fleet to five vessels.

“When our third battery hybrid LNG PCTC is delivered in 2022, it ushers in a new era for UECC and short sea shipping in Europe. That will give us a total of five eco-friendly vessels in our fleet,” Edvardsen said.

Reflecting on the investment in the third green vessel, he explained:“We wanted to expand the use of new technologies to meet or exceed future sustainability requirements, and we feel our choice with the first two LNG vessels has been justified over nearly three years of operation. This experience gives us the confidence to move forward with even more eco-friendly technologies.”

The new battery-hybrid solution will take UECC beyond the IMO target of 40% reduction in carbon intensity by 2030. The three vessels will also meet the IMO Tier 3 NOx emissions limitations entering into force in the Baltic and North Sea from 2021 keel lays.

“Batteries are a key step toward next generation sustainability,” Edvardsen observed.

Battery power on the new vessels is expected to improve operational efficiency and further reduce emissions through peak shaving, in addition to handling partial accommodation load and driving auxiliary equipment.

“It also provides an option for reducing emissions while in port, and that is becoming more important for many cities,” he noted.