UECC Receives Its First LNG-Powered Car Carrier

UECC, a Norwegian company specialized in the transportation of vehicles and rolling cargo, has added its first dual-fuel ship powered by liquefied natural gas to its fleet. It is called “Auto Eco” and is a PCTC that has been built at the Nacks shipyard in Nantong (China), where it has been officially delivered after completing sea trials.

The new vessel is expected to arrive in Northern Europe next November, where it will operate regularly. Together with another ship currently being outfitted, they will be the largest of their kind in the Baltic Sea. It is noteworthy that it complies with sulfur emission regulations in the ECA and has an ice class of 1A super, allowing it to navigate year-round, even in icy waters with up to 60 centimeters of ice.

The “Auto Eco” measures 181 meters in overall length and 30 meters in beam. It is powered by a dual MAN engine and has fuel tanks that allow it to operate for fourteen days using only liquefied natural gas. Its transport capacity is a maximum of 3,985 vehicles. The shipyard has met contractual deadlines, having laid the first block of the keel in December 2015.

Photo: UECC