UECC takes delivery of second dual-fuel battery hybrid PCTC

United European Car Carriers (UECC), a Norway-based provider of shortsea RoRo transportation, has taken delivery of the second multi-fuel liquefied natural gas (LNG) battery hybrid from China’s Jiangnan Shipyard.

As informed, the delivery ceremony of the second in a series of three new PCTCs took place on 13 June. The latest PCTC, to be named Auto Achieve, will further contribute to reduced emissions for the environmentally focused ro-ro carrier in the European shortsea trade.

“UECC has taken a progressive approach to curbing its environmental footprint with these newbuilds that are the first PCTCs to adopt this innovative technological solution, which is based on stringent design criteria for energy efficiency,” said Glenn Edvardsen, CEO of UECC.

The ship will join its sister vessel Auto Advance which was delivered from the Chinese yard late last year. Jiangnan Shipyard, part of China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) in Shanghai, launched the third vessel in January this year.

The three new multi-fuel LNG battery hybrid vessels are designed to meet the International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) Tier 3 NOx emissions limitations entering into force in the Baltic Sea and North Sea from 2021.

UECC earlier developed dual-fuel LNG vessels Auto Eco and Auto Energy that have been meeting the IMO carbon-intensity target during six years of operation.

“UECC has been a first-mover for green operations in the car carrier segment and is now benefiting from this proactive strategy by realising significant fuel efficiency gains and emission reductions,” Edvardsen stressed.

The solution combining multi-fuel LNG engines for main propulsion and auxiliaries together with battery hybrid capability was developed by UECC together with DNV and Jiangnan’s in-house ship designer Shanghai Merchant Ship Design & Research Institute.

Multi-fuel engines are expected to enable a carbon dioxide emissions reduction of around 25%, according to the company.

SOx and particulate matter by 90% and NOx by 85% from the use of LNG and are also adaptable for low-carbon fuels such as bio-LNG and synthetic fuels as these become available.

With the new environmentally-friendly ships arriving into the fleet, the company will have a total of five eco-friendly vessels, which is over 50% of its owned fleet of nine PCTCs , when the third and final newbuild in the series is delivered later this year.

Furthermore, 80% of its total lifting capacity will meet or exceed the IMO target to cut carbon intensity by 40% within 2030.

“The addition of hybrid technology marks another step up in sustainability as battery power can further reduce emissions through peak shaving, in addition to handling partial accommodation load and driving auxiliary equipment, while boosting operating efficiency.”

“The use of battery power is also beneficial for port calls as it eliminates particulate matter and other harmful emissions that represent a public health risk in coastal cities,” the company concluded.

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