UECC launches largest LNG-fueled car carrier

The Norwegian ocean carrier will deploy the Auto Energy, the world’s largest vehicle carrier capable of running on liquified natural gas (LNG), between Southampton, U.K. and the Scandinavian region, the company said in a statement.    Norwegian shipping company United European Car Carriers (UECC) has launched its newly-built vessel Auto Energy, which runs on liquefied natural gas (LNG).
   At 181 meters long and 30 meters wide, the ship is the largest car carrier in the world with a main engine that runs on LNG, according to UECC. The Auto Energy is a dual-fuel vessel, meaning it can also run on heavy fuel oil and marine gasoline with reduced emissions and fuel consumption.
   “In LNG operation, the emission of nitrogen oxides is reduced by up to 80 per cent and there are no sulphur dioxide or particulate emissions at all,” Jörg Schulz, Bremen’s state councillor for ports, said of the new ship.
   The Auto Energy can carry up to 4,000 cars and has a ramp capacity of up to 160 tons. With ten decks with heights of 5.30 meters, the car carrier can also accommodate high and heavy rolling cargo such as mobile cranes, agricultural machinery and crawler excavators, according to UECC.
   UECC said both the Auto Energy and a sister ship, the Auto Eco, will operate on an intra-European route between Southampton, U.K., and the Scandinavian region.