VIDEO: World’s Largest PCTC Transits the New Panama Canal

The video above shows Höegh Target, a Pure Car Truck Carrier (PCTC) owned by the Norwegian RoRo shipping company Höegh Autoliners, transiting the Agua Clara locks of the newly expanded Panama Canal on September 8, 2016. 

With its 8,500 car capacity and 71,400 m² deck area, Höegh Target is said to be the largest PCTC in the world. The 22,068 dwt vessel features a length of 199.9 meters and a width of 36.8 meters.

Delivered in 2015, the Höegh Target is the first in a series of six vessels under the New Horizon design that Höegh Autoliners will take delivery of by the end of this year.

The company said it designed the six vessels with a larger beam while the Panama Project was underway.

“We have anticipated this moment for some time, so it is with great pride we see one of our New Horizon vessels pass the newly expanded Panama Canal,” Steinar Løvdal, Chief Operating Officer – Deep Sea said.

He added that the market for high and heavy cargo out of Asia to the US “has grown considerably and with the added flexibility these vessels provide we have been able to utilize the capacity of Höegh Target to its full extent.”

The Höegh Target began its journey in Japan and is on its way to Mobile, Alabama.

Image Courtesy: Panama Canal Authority