New LNG battery hybrid vessel christened at the Port of Gothenburg
A newly built ship with special environmental and climate characteristics was christened at the Port of Gothenburg on Wednesday. The vessel in question is an LNG/battery hybrid ship that already today meets IMO's 2030 target for shipping's carbon dioxide efficiency. The vessel will call at the Port of Gothenburg every week, according to the company's release.
The short sea shipping line UECC started a new service to the Port of Gothenburg in April, in the light of new contracts with some major European vehicle manufacturers. Vehicles and other rolling cargo is transported to end from Zeebrugge via the ports of Drammen and Esbjerg. By way of transhipment in Zeebrugge, the traffic can be connected to other ports in Europe and the world. The service reaches the Port of Gothenburg every week.
Now UECC has put a completely new ship into the service, and on Wednesday the ship was ceremonially christened at the Port of Gothenburg. The vessel, now named Auto Achieve, is an approximately 170 meter long vessel with the capacity to transport 3,600 cars on ten decks, as well as other types of heavier vehicles and project cargo.
Auto Achieve is propelled by LNG (liquid natural gas) combined with battery hybrid technology, which improves operational efficiency and further reduce emissions through peak shaving, in addition to handling partial accommodation load and driving auxiliary equipment. Already today, the vessel’s fuel efficiency meets IMO:s 2030 target of a 40% reduction in carbon intensity.
According to UECC, Auto Achieve enables a carbon dioxide emissions reduction of around 25%, SOx and particulate matter by 90% and NOx by 85% from the use of LNG. She is also adaptable for low-carbon fuels such as bio-LNG and synthetic fuels as these become available.
Auto Achieve calls at the Port of Gothenburg's rail connected vehicle and ro-ro-terminal, where the terminal operator Logent Ports and terminals handles loading and unloading. Via the port of Gothenburg, the entire Swedish market is then effectively reached through the well-developed railway system Railport Scandinavia.
UECC was founded in 1990 and is jointly owned by Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK) and Wallenius Lines. The UECC head office is located in Oslo, Norway. UECC operates a fleet of 17 pure car and truck carriers (PCTC) designed to meet the necessary flexibility and efficiency requirements of the short sea market.
